Dragons: Thora's Story
by Elise Lowing
Summary: Thora, daughter of the late Osvald the Agreeable, now lives under the iron fist of her deranged brother, Dagur. Just when she believes she will never be free of her fate, a recent trip to Berk for a Peace Treaty gives her hope. As Thora fights to change her destiny, she will also find the courage and determination to save both her tribe and Berk from her own brother.
1. Chapter 1: Twinsanity Part 1

**Dragons**

**Thora's Story**

**I remember Dagur mentioned having a sister in the Defenders of Berk episode, "The Night and the Fury". So I thought it would be interesting what would happen if she were introduced in the series. What would her story be? As a fan of the series, I decided to try a possible story.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own "Dragons: Riders/Defenders of Berk" or "How to Train Your Dragon", I am merely exploring an alternate story.**

**With that said, let's begin!**

* * *

><p><strong>Twinsanity: Part 1<strong>

After a day of training at the Dragon Training Academy, Hiccup and Toothless soon came lumbering up to their house for a bite to eat. Just as the young Viking was about to open the door, he heard two familiar voices arguing back and forth.

"Argh, suck in your gut, Stock!" Gobber's voice said gruffly.

"Agh, it's sucked, Gobber!" Stoick's voice replied, strained. "It doesn't suck anymore than this!"

Hiccup opened the door and saw Gobber trying to help Stoick get a special belt on. Only the belt looked a little too small for muscular chief.

"Ah, the ceremonial belt." Hiccup shrugged as walked into the house with Toothless following him. "Is it that time again?"

"Yep." Stoick gasped for air as Gobber tried to tighten the belt. "Tomorrow is the annual treaty signing with the Berserker Tribe."

"They gotta change that name." Gobber said casually. "When your Chief's Osvald the Agreeable and you haven't been to war in fifty years…"

"Oh, please tell me he's not bringing that lunatic kid of his." Hiccup moaned.

"Dagur?" Gobber replied. "Oh, he'll be here. And so will Thora most likely."

"His sister, I have no problems with." Hiccup rolled his eyes. "In fact, if anything, she has my sympathy. But I guess I'll still have to keep Dagur out of trouble."

"Actually, I have a more important job for you." Stoick said. "You get to hide all the dragons."

The moment the chief mentioned "dragons", Toothless looked at Hiccup with confusion. The young Viking glanced at the Night Fury and raised an eyebrow, sharing his friend's sentiment.

"From Osvald the Agreeable?" he questioned. "Why?"

"Hiccup," Stoick said, "just because we've had peace with them for fifty years doesn't mean they still can't go…well…"

"Berserk?" Gobber finished.

"Exactly." Stoick nodded. "The dragons could be seen as an aggression. Better blissful than bloody, I always say."

Stoick briefly chuckled at his own joke.

"And the last thing we want is another Berserker skirmish." Gobber said, serious. "They tend to play for keeps."

"Just hide the dragons, son," the chief ordered before letting out grunt of discomfort as Gobber tightened his belt some more.

Hiccup let out a sarcastic sigh before turning to Toothless.

"Well, c'mon bud," he gestured, "let's get the others."

* * *

><p>The next day, early in the morning, Hiccup, Astrid, Snotlout, and Fishlegs, along with their dragon companions, had gathered all the other dragons on Berk and began herding them toward the caves behind the Island.<p>

"Is Dagur coming?" Snotlout asked. "He's so cool."

" "Cool"?" Hiccup said in near-disbelief. "Last time he was here, he used me as a knife-throwing target."

"That guy should be locked up in a cage." Astrid scowled.

"That's what he did to me." Fishlegs said. "He wouldn't let me eat for three days."

"Yeah," Snotlout laughed, "you're just lucky Thora found you and got you out."

"I still can't believe those two are even related." Hiccup shrugged. "Thora's nothing like Dagur."

"Look out!" Astrid suddenly exclaimed. "Incoming Zippleback!"

Hiccup looked down and saw a bright green Zippleback fly out of formation. It quickly flew past the riders and back toward Berk. However, it wasn't just any Zippleback. Hiccup's eyes widened when he realized that dragon was Barf and Belch.

"Where's Ruffnut and Tuffnut?" he quickly asked.

The boy then face-palmed, remembering that during Dragon Training the Twins had a huge argument. Apparently, they were still mad at each other.

"Never mind," he replied. "We gotta get that Zippleback before the Berserkers…"

Before Hiccup could finish his sentence, the sound of a loud, deep horn echoed from the docks of the town.

"…Are here." Astrid frowned.

"Ugh, terrific." Hiccup groaned. "Guys, you get that Zippleback. I have to go greet Osvald with my dad."

* * *

><p>After leaving Toothless in a safe place to hide, Hiccup ran down to the docks where the main ship of the Berserker fleet was coming to a halt. At the end of the pier was his father along with Gobber.<p>

When Stoick heard the sound of footsteps, he turned and quickly motioned to his son to move it along.

"Hurry, Hiccup," he ordered. "Osvald is here."

The boat came to a creaking stop and two large Berserker soldiers lowered the gangplank. Then one carrying a double headed spear came forward and said in a strong voice:

"Presenting the high chief of the Berserker tribe: cracker of skulls, slayer of beasts, the great and fearsome…"

"Osvald the Agreeable?" Gobber raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Dagur the Deranged!"

To Stoick, Gobber, and Hiccup's shock and dismay, Dagur stepped forward.

The new Berserker spat to the side before turning to the group and sneering at them. He suddenly drew a small knife and threw at Hiccup's head. The small Berkian managed to duck just in time and it barely missed him, but only by an inch.

Hiccup looked back at the ship and saw a young girl, just a few years older than him, walk forward and stand behind Dagur.

Her dark red hair was braided up and hung over her right shoulder in a side-ponytail. She wore a forest-green, short-sleeved tunic with a leather vest fastened up to her neck, white leggings, and brown boots. She also had a leather brace laced up to her elbow on each arm, leaving her upper arms bare. Around her waist were a sheathed sword and a small hip-pouch.

Her olive green eyes stared right at Hiccup with no emotion. Her face was just blank.

It was Thora.

* * *

><p>Thora glanced at Hiccup as she followed Dagur down the gangplank. She didn't hate Hiccup by any means, in fact she was quite fond of him truth be told. However, something about him seemed…different. And it wasn't just the fact he now had a metal leg. There something in his eyes that had changed since the last time she saw him, which was about a year ago.<p>

Before she could think about what the change was, however, her attention was turned back to Stoick as the Chief of Berk spoke to her brother.

"Dagur, where's your father?"

"My father has been…retired." Dagur answered.

Thora's eyes narrowed for a moment and let out a short huff. That was a blatant lie and she knew it. However, she kept her mouth shut.

"He lost his taste for blood." Dagur continued, sounding more malicious. "I, on the other hand, am_ starving._"

The deranged Viking chuckled for a moment, making Thora cringe even more. Dagur's eyes then darted around suspiciously.

"So," he said, "where are you hiding them, Stoick?"

"Hiding what, Dagur?" Stoick answered, masking his alert by the question.

However, it didn't get past Thora. She pinched her eyebrows close together in such a subtle way that it was practically unnoticeable.

"Do I look stupid to you?" Dagur snapped at Stoick in an irritated voice.

"Trick question." Gobber whispered to Stoick. "Don't answer that."

"We both know what's going on here." Dagur haughtily stepped forward, tossing the axe he had been carrying. "I have it on excellent authority that you're amassing an army of dragons."

" "Excellent authority"?" Stoick questioned, slowly becoming concerned about the interrogation. "And who would that be, Dagur?"

"Never mind." Dagur shrugged before saying in a smug tone. "Just know that if I find it to be true, then my armada will attack with the force of fifty thousand brave Berserker soldiers!"

The soldiers on the boat began to gruffly cheer at the mentioning of an attack. Thora, on the other hand, bit her lip out of nervousness.

"Stand down, Dagur." Stoick calmly replied. "There won't be any need for the armada. Now let's get to the treaty."

It was then that Thora lost interest in the conversation between the chiefs.

A small movement caught her eye and she saw Hiccup make a dash back down the docks towards the village. She could tell by the way that he was running that he wasn't just trying to get out of talking to Dagur. He was defiantly up to something.

The girl followed Dagur off the gangplank and slowly walked a few paces away from the group, making sure to stay out of their line of vision. When she was sure that no one was watching, she ran down the docks after the little Viking.

Of course, Dagur didn't notice her run off. He never paid attention to her. As far as he was concerned, she was mostly invisible: not meant to be seen nor be heard unless he wanted to take his anger out on someone.

And for Thora, that was perfectly fine for the most part. In fact, she considered her ability to blend in and move around almost invisibly to be a talent of sorts.

* * *

><p>Hiccup, unaware of a follower close behind, franticly ran back through the town, searching for the other riders.<p>

"Oh, this is bad, this is bad. This is really bad," He mumbled frantically to himself.

Suddenly, Astrid rushed out from between two houses, grabbed Hiccup's arm, and pulled him back. Thora darted behind one of the houses and carefully crept up to the corner.

"Hiccup, we have a problem." Astrid said, sounding concerned.

"You're telling me." Hiccup replied, still winded. "Dagur's the new Berserker chief!"

"What?!"

"Yeah, his father "retired"!"

Once again, Thora gritted her teeth and clenched her fists at the phrase.

"More like he was _usurped_ you mean!" she bitterly whispered under her breath.

"And he thinks we're hiding dragons," she heard Hiccup concluded.

"Well, we kind of are." Astrid stated. "Which brings us to our next problem."

Hearing a small pause, Thora pressed herself up against the house and peeked around the corner. She saw the two Berkian teens looking down at the ground where a trail of Zippleback tracks were laid out.

"Barf? Belch? Here?!" Hiccup voice sounded strained.

Grunting and slurping noises immediately followed after Hiccup's statement. From where she was, Thora couldn't really see what was making the sounds. All she could see were Hiccup and Astrid running off and disappearing behind another house. When she could see them anymore, Thora crept back behind the house, thinking about what she just overheard. It was actually surprising to learn that the rumors of Berk were actually true.

"So Berk does train dragons after all," she silently thought out loud. "And I bet the story about Hiccup fighting the Red Death is true, too. But if that is the case, then that would mean…"

Suddenly, Thora felt hot air forcefully brush against her back and she froze like a statue. She heard a loud snort come directly from behind her and her heart began to race. There was something behind her. And by the sound of it, something big!

She slowly turned her head and what she saw made her draw in a sharp breath of air. She fell backwards and scrabbled up against the house as a large, sleek, black-scaled creature growled threateningly and crept closer towards her. When Thora couldn't back away anymore, the dragon stopped so that his face was just a few inches away from her own. Its bright, threatening green eyes stared straight into hers, as if searching through her soul.

A large Night Fury had her trapped!


	2. Chapter 2: Twinsanity Part 2

**Twinsanity: Part 2**

Thora swallowed hard as the Night Fury moved in closer. Her pulse raced faster and her chest heaved as she took in huge gasps of air. She had never encountered a dragon of this magnificence or terror before. Despite being terrified, she also felt a sort of reverence at the sight of this creature.

"H-Hey, Night Fury," she nervously stuttered.

The dragon growled slightly as the girl spoke, causing her to flinch.

"E-Easy, boy!" she gulped. "Uh, y-you are a boy, right?"

To her surprise, the Night Fury's face slightly softened. However, it still stared at her with suspicion, as if it was waiting for her to say something that it wanted to hear.

"I'm not gonna hurt you," the human said cautiously.

The dragon became just a little less tense, as if seeing that the words she was speaking were true, but still wasn't fully convinced that she wasn't a threat.

"My name is Thora," the girl finally said.

The moment she mentioned her name, the most curious thing happened. The pupils in the dragon's eyes went from piercing slits to soft, round shapes. It gave a warm purr and stepped back. Thora sat dazed for a moment before lifting herself up, using the house for support as she got her feet. She looked at the dragon with disbelief.

Why did this Night Fury back off suddenly? And why did he look like he trusted her now?

"Um, have we met?" Thora asked, stupefied.

The dragon purred again and walked up to the Berserker shield-maiden. Thora, on the other hand, stepped back, still feeling a little wary about this mighty creature. However, now that she wasn't looking death in the face, she was able to take a closer look at this Night Fury.

The first thing she noticed was that one of his tail fins was red with the image of a white skull on it, while the other was as black as the rest of him. She also saw that this dragon was wearing a very sophisticated saddle. On each side were two different foot pedals. The one on the right looked like it was made to secure a regular foot, but the left one looked narrower, as if there was only a special contraption that could fit into it.

In fact, it looked like it was made for a certain someone with a metal leg.

"Wait a minute," she mumbled, looking back at the dragon's face, "are you…"

Before she could finish her question, Thora heard the sound of Dagur's voice, and it wasn't too far away.

"Boring," the Berserker chief moaned. "I want to see the dragon killing things!"

"Follow me." Stoick's dull voice followed.

Thora and the dragon turned sharply in the direction where the voices came from. The girl drew in a sharp breath when she realized he was coming past their way.

"C'mon! We gotta hide!" she ordered.

Thora and the Night Fury ran away from the armory and behind another house. The next thing Thora knew, a large Zippleback suddenly rounded the corner and nearly ran her over. Luckily, she managed to leap out of the just in the nick of time. The Night Fury snarled at the two-headed dragon as it raced past them.

At the same time, a familiar voice from behind shouted in a hushed voice:

"Barf Belch! Come back here!"

In less than a second later, Thora felt something collide with her, causing her to stumble a bit. When she turned around, she saw the scrawny Viking on the ground on his back, dazed from the sudden impact.

"Hiccup?!" Thora exclaimed.

At the sound of the voice, Hiccup's eyes widened and he quickly sat up. When he saw who had run into, his face went very pale.

"Thora?!" his voice sounded like it bordered on panic. "W-What you doing here?!"

"I was about to ask you the same thing." Thora replied.

"Uh, look…" the young Viking stuttered, getting to his feet, "this isn't what it looks like. I-It's just one dragon after."

"You mean the Zippleback or the Night Fury?" the girl crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Uh…I don't know what you're…"

"Hiccup," Thora calmly said, "I know about the dragons. And I think I met yours."

From behind the Berserker shield-maiden, the Night Fury walked up from behind her and over to the Berkian boy.

"Toothless?!" Hiccup exclaimed.

"Toothless, huh?" Thora shrugged. "So that's his name."

"Oh gods," Hiccup groaned before desperately saying, "Thora, listen, I know this looks really awkward."

"You're darn right." Thora responded dryly.

Hiccup placed his arms protectively on Toothless's head, shoving him back a ways. The Night Fury stood his ground, but he could also sense his rider's urgency. However, he couldn't understand why. Hiccup said so himself that Thora wasn't like Dagur. And from what he had seen of her, she didn't pose as a threat.

"But we aren't raising an army of dragons!" Hiccup quickly said.

"I know," the girl replied, "and don't worry, I'm not going to tell anyone."

"I mean, this just…"

Hiccup paused for a moment and blinked. Did Thora say what he thinks she said?

"Wait, what did you say?" he asked.

"I said I'm not going to tell anyone." Thora grinned.

Toothless purred at the Berserker girl. He could see there was no dishonesty or evilness in her eyes. She could be trusted.

"But…what about Dagur?" Hiccup asked. "He is your brother after all."

"I'm painfully aware of that." Thora said as her face changed into an expression of irritation. "But trust me, it'll be best for everyone's sake if he doesn't know. Now, are we going to stand here and talk or are going to get that Zippleback out of sight before another Berserker sees it?"

"Oh, right!" Hiccup slapped his forehead before running away with Toothless and Thora following.

The group found the runaway dragon climbing up the back of the armory as if it was looking for something. Toothless didn't hesitate for a second. He immediately grabbed the tails of the Zippleback and began to pull. The dragon grunted and squawked in defiance and tried to get out of the Night Fury's jaws.

"What is that commotion?" Dagur's voice came from inside the armory.

Both Hiccup and Thora froze.

"What commotion?" Gobber's voice immediately followed.

"That growling sound." Dagur said, almost tauntingly. "It sounds like…a dragon."

"Oh, no." Thora groaned. "Hiccup, you and Toothless get that Zippleback out of here. I'll keep Dagur busy."

Bracing herself for what was coming, Thora quickly ran around to the front of the armory just as her brother walked out of the building, slamming the doors as he did. She skidded to a stop right in front of him, almost knocking him down. Knowing she had a secret to keep, she quickly put on the façade she had to use when she around the new Berserker "chief".

"Thora," Dagur said rather casually, "there you are. Where have you been?"

"Oh, just around." the girl replied dully.

"Well, did you happen to see any trained dragons?" the Berserker chief asked suspiciously.

"No." Thora shrugged. "Stoick was telling the truth."

"Then what was that sound from before?" Dagur raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't hear anything." Thora replied.

Her brother stared at her for a moment in suspicion before shrugging.

"Well, pity you missed the tour, sister." Dagur pushed her aside. "They have some really nice, sharp weapons here. A shame they have no blood-stains on them."

"Well, you know, Dagur," Thora scowled, "not all of us are as ruthless as you are."

"I know." the deranged Viking grinned. "But then again, Stoick is just as much of a coward as our father used to be."

Thora clenched her fists and her she scowled harder, forcing herself to show her teeth like an angry dragon. Dagur insulting her was one thing, but when he starts insulting Osvald AND Stoick, he was really crossing the line!

"Stoick is a good chief!" she protested. "And so was our father! And the only reason you…"

Before Thora could finish her sentence, Dagur drew his sword and whipped around, pointing the tip just inches away from her neck.

"Say it," he growled threateningly, "and it will be the last thing you ever say!"

"Would you really waste me right here?" Thora glared, still feeling nervous about being at sword-point. "Everyone will see. And you won't be able to escape this time."

"Or I could say another Berkian did it." her brother grinned maliciously. "Then that would be the perfect excuse to go the war against Berk. That would also force them to bring their dragons out for battle."

Before Dagur could react, Thora immediately drew her sword and knocked his blade away with a loud "CLANG". She then jumped back and braced herself in a fighting stance.

"You wanna go toe-to-toe with me right now?!" her eyes narrowed viciously.

If Dagur wants to use her destruction as an excuse for war, then he's got another thing coming!

Dagur glared at his sister for a moment. He then sneered and put his sword back in its sheath on his back.

"Na, you're not worth it," he said with a strong voice of egotism. "You're too soft, you avoid combat, and you disgrace the name of our tribe. We're supposed to be strong and vicious. But you're just like our father: weak and a coward."

Thora just glared at her brother as those words cut through her like a knife.

"Face it, sister," Dagur continued, "No matter how hard you try, you'll never catch up with me."

The two siblings stood there as animosity rose between them again. This wasn't the first time Dagur insulted Thora like this, and she was sure that it wasn't going to be the last either. Although she tried time and time again to comfort herself by saying he was wrong about her, the more he said those offenses, the more she started to believe them.

It was mostly because of these insults that she preferred to be neither seen nor heard.

However, before her intense starring contest with Dagur was over, Stoick and Gobber come out of the armory and broke the tension.

"Ah, Thora." Stoick said with a pinch of concern in his voice. "Where have you been?"

"Just around." Thora answered bitterly, putting her sword away.

"Well, you're just in time." Gobber interjected. "We were about to have supper and sign the treaty afterward."

"Can't wait." The girl grumbled.

"Then to the Great Hall, everyone." Stoick ordered.

The group began to follow the Berkian chief.

After they had left, Astrid stepped out from behind the armory. She met up with Hiccup and he explained the situation to her. He then told her to keep watch as he and Toothless tried to get the Zippleback away. She arrived in time to see Dagur threaten and hurl insults at Thora. Although she was concerned about Thora's safety, she preferred to keep out of the conflict as much as possible.

It was now that Astrid could see why the Berserker shield-maiden was so gloomy all the time. Thora wasn't just ignored by Dagur, but when he did notice her, he would rip her apart with words.

"You're not weak, Thora." Astrid whispered to herself.

After taking in a moment to silently express her sympathy, the Berkian shield-maiden turned around and ran to the back of the building to help Hiccup in getting the Zippleback under control.


	3. Chapter 3: Twinsanity Part 3

**Twinsanity: Part 3**

Thora picked at her food with her fork, having lost her appetite. She stared at the plate with a blank face as she thought about the events that had happened a few minutes ago.

She was still having a hard time believe she came face-to-face with a real live Night Fury. He was so terrifying, yet so majestic at the same time.

And on top of that, learning that he was Hiccup's dragon was a bit of a surprise. The little Viking wasn't much bigger than a log, yet he rode the back of a powerful dragon.

How did he even come by a dragon like that in the first place?

As Thora continued to ponder this, she also began to realize how much Hiccup had changed since the last time she saw him.

Last year, Dagur relentlessly began throwing knives at the poor Viking for some kind of target practice. Although Hiccup tried telling Dagur to stop, he didn't do much to stop him from torturing him. Then again, what could he do? Dagur was bigger and stronger than Hiccup was at the time.

Not to mention, when Dagur was enjoying the thrill of a fight, almost nothing could stop him.

Just as the Dagur had cornered Hiccup, and was about to kill him with a single knife to the young boy's chest, Thora managed to step in the way just in time and deflect the knife with her sword, causing Dagur to stop. At the same time, their sibling's father showed up and gave Dagur a harsh scolding that ended with the deranged Berserker being confined to the ship for the rest of the visit.

Thora remembered Hiccup's face when Dagur had him cornered. He looked so scared and weak, something that the Berserker shield-maiden could understand. She was just grateful she made it in time to save him.

However, today was a different story than last year. Although Hiccup looked afraid when Thora discovered the dragons, he didn't have the same fear that she would've expected to see if this sort of thing happened a year ago. He looked and acted…braver.

As she thought of this, she noticed a movement out of the corner of her eye and looked up. Hiccup had just entered the Great Hall and was walking over to his place next to his father. Thora lowered her face, but still kept her eyes on the young boy as his father leaned over and asked him a question. Hiccup whispered something that Thora couldn't hear, but she had a feeling it had something to do with that Zippleback they tried to hide earlier.

And judging by the distressed look on his face, Thora suspected that they didn't succeed in hiding it.

Suddenly, Dagur stood up and raised his mug.

"A toast," he proudly stated, "to death in battle!"

Gobber then immediately stood up and raised his mug, proclaiming:

"To your father!"

Everyone else then stood up and raised their drinks and said in unison:

"To Osvald!"

Thora couldn't help but give a small smile as she saw these people honor her father. At least they appreciated him, unlike her brother, who immediately became disgusted and plopped right back down in his seat.

"Fine, whatever," he said before whining, "To Osvald, to Osvald, to Osvald! Bladdity, Bladdity, Blah!"

He then scowled angrily and stabbed his piece of cake with his knife. Thora coiled away at the action, feeling her heart skip a beat. It immediately recovered by beating a little harder than before. She then swallowed hard and took a deep breath. Although Dagur behaving immature and violent wasn't unusual for him, the look on his face triggered a brief memory in her mind, and a painful one at that.

But she couldn't let anyone see her reaction. If they did, she knew she would be dead meat later. So she concealed her emotions again as best she could.

"Well, on that cheery note," Gobber tentatively said, "shall we sign the treaty and send you on your way?"

"Great idea." Dagur stood up again. "Let's sign that treaty. Bring us the dragon's blood!"

"Uh," Hiccup said, disturbed, "did you say "dragon's blood"."

"Yes, he did." Thora mumbled to herself, lowering her head in shame.

Stoick chuckled with concealed nervousness for a moment before standing up.

"Don't be ridiculous, Dagur," he said. "Your father and I haven't sign the treaty in dragon's blood for years."

"Why would that be a problem, Stoick?" the Beserker asked suspiciously. "Unless, of course…you don't kill dragons anymore."

Stoick paused for a moment and Thora bit her lip. She knew Stoick was clever enough to hide the truth, but she was worried about how long he could hide it.

"We still kill dragons," the chief of Berk finally said confidently.

"The problem is," Gobber interjected, "we've killed so many, there isn't a dragon within two hundred miles of here."

As if by some sort of jinx by what Gobber said, the doors of the Great Hall burst open. Everyone turned around quickly and saw a Zippleback dragon fly in, roaring viciously.

"Except that one." Gobber quickly stated with a frown.

Thora gasped in horror when she saw that it was the same Zippleback from before. The dragon ran one lap around the room before racing out the Great Hall and taking off.

"The Zippleback!" Dagur shouted almost joyously. "It's a sign! A head for each chief!"

The madman suddenly grabbed Stoick and shook him.

"OHHHHH!" he laughed manically. "It's going to be amazing!"

Dagur then grabbed a knife and leapt up on the table and declared:

"Tonight, we hunt dragon!"

The Beserkers, except for Thora, all cheered with enthusiasm. Dagur then threw the knife away, and it headed straight toward Hiccup. For a moment, Thora was afraid that the knife would strike the boy. Luckily, it didn't make it that far.

Hiccup flinched as the weapon struck the table in front of him. He then looked up with worry as the Berserkers rushed out of the Great Hall.

Stoick then leaned over to Hiccup and said in a low voice:

"You need to find that Zippleback before he does."

As soon as the others were gone, Thora got up from her spot and rushed over to Hiccup and Stoick.

"Let me help," she said.

The chief of Berk at first looked at the young Berserker teen with an alarmed expression before Hiccup immediately said:

"It's okay, dad, she knows."

The young Viking then stood up and turned to Berserker shield-maiden with a concerned expression. "Thora, I don't know if that's a good idea. What if Dagur sees you?"

"He won't." Thora stated. "I can help you. Just let me."

Hiccup thought for a moment before finally nodding. Right now, he didn't really have time to argue, not when one of the dragons of Berk was in danger.

"C'mon!" Hiccup ordered. "Let's get others!"

With that, the two teens raced out of the Great Hall.

* * *

><p><em>A few hours later…<em>

Thora held onto Hiccup's shoulders and took in a breath of wonder. Since this was her first time flying on the back of a dragon, she naturally felt unsure about doing it at all in the beginning. However, the moment they left the ground, and after she got over her nausea, the feeling of being in the sky was exhilarating.

As Toothless and the other dragons flew along with their riders, Thora had almost become overtaken by the power of flight. Just being up in the air, seeing the world down below rush by her in a flurry of colors made it feel amazing, magical even.

For the time in a long time, she felt free.

However, her moment of amazement was interrupted by Astrid's voice.

"Hiccup," she said, "you heard Tuffnut. He went to his dark, soggy, alone place. That could be anywhere."

"Not really," Snotlout replied, "that could only be one place."

Upon hearing this, Hiccup, Astrid, and Thora all stared at the Monsterous Nightmare's rider with surprised and annoyed expressions.

"What?" Snotlout raised an eyebrow.

"Why didn't you say something?" Hiccup asked, irritated.

"Why didn't YOU ask?" the buff Viking mocked.

"Snotlout," Astrid glared, "we've been looking for them all day."

"And…"

"AND if you don't tell us right now I'm going to throw you off that dragon!" Thora shouted angrily.

"No need to get violent." Snotlout replied in a blasé tone. "He's probably at the Lost Cavern. They used to play "Hide-and-Go-Kill" there when they were kids."

"Okay," Hiccup ordered, "Astrid, you and Snotlout take the south entrance to the cavern. Fishlegs, Thora, and I will take the north."

The groups then divided and flew across the island to the caverns.

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, Thora and her group arrived at the north entrance to the Lost Cavern. They dismounted their dragons and Hiccup grabbed a nearby stick. Toothless gently blew out a small bit of fire and lit the stick up.<p>

"Alright, bud." Hiccup said. "Do your thing: Search!"

The young Viking waved his hand across the entrance. The Night Fury nodded in understanding and wandered into the cave. Once again, Thora was amazed by how this dragon responded to his rider. The creature seemed to know what Hiccup was saying even though they weren't speaking the same language.

She was astounded by the how strong the bond between them. They didn't need to speak in the same language to understand each other, they understood each other on a much deeper level.

"I wonder…" she mumbled to herself.

Thora then walked up to Hiccup as the group continued to walk through the caverns.

"Um, Hiccup," she said tentatively. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," he nodded, "what is it?"

"You and Toothless: how did you meet?"

"That's a bit of a long story." Hiccup replied. "And I don't think we have time for it right now."

"Okay, fair enough." Thora rubbed the back of her neck. "Then can I ask you something else?"

"Depends on what it is?"

"It's just…well…" Thora nervously licked her lips before taking a deep breath, "do you think…I could train a dragon?"

"Hmm," Hiccup looked down at the ground, "I don't see why not. Aside from the fact that you come from a…well…Berserker tribe that enjoys killing dragons."

Thora let out a small, miserable groan as she was reminded of her unfortunate situation.

"But other than that I think it's possible," the Berkian boy quickly added when he noticed the Berserker's dismal expression. "What kind of dragon did you have in mind?"

Thora hesitated for a moment as she tried to think of a way to tell Hiccup what kind of dragon she wanted to train. For what kind of dragon she had in mind was rather insane, even for a Berserker Viking.

Finally, she took a deep breath and said, "A Skrill."

Hiccup stopped for a moment and looked back at Thora with a perplexed expression. The girl bit her lip and wrung her hands together. The look on his face made her feel like she did say something completely insane.

"You mean…the dragon that can attract lightening to itself and redirect it?" Hiccup asked, sounding very confused.

"I know it sounds crazy," Thora rubbed her arm with a hint of embarrassment in her voice, "but…I've always been fascinated by those dragons. And…if I could train one…if you and the others helped me then…"

"Thora," Hiccup interrupted, "I would like to talk about this more later, but I think we should focus of finding Ruff and Tuff before Dagur finds their dragon."

"Oh, okay." Thora sighed.

Although she was feeling a little disappointed about not continuing this conversation, Thora knew that Hiccup was right. They had to find the twins before their dragon became Dagur's next unfortunate victim.


	4. Chapter 4: Twinsanity Part 4

**Twinsanity: Part 4**

Thora, along with Hiccup, Fishlegs and their dragons, continued to search the Lost Cavern for any sign of the twins.

The longer it took them to find them, the more worried the Berserker teen became. Dagur was merciless when it came to killing dragons. He seemed to take delight in seeing them afraid and pleading for their lives. Whenever a situation like that came up, Thora always walked away. But even when she distanced herself, she could still hear his maniacal laughter and horrible wails from his victims. There were nights where she was afraid to fall asleep for fear of hearing those moans and screams in her nightmares.

But Thora wasn't going to let that happen to this dragon. She was going to save that Zippleback and the other dragons, no matter what it took.

After what seemed like hours, although it might have been only a few minutes, the little group rounded a corner and they spotted a small movement in the shadow of the cave. Hiccup cautiously lifted the torch and squinted.

There was a person over there, and Hiccup recognized who it was in a second.

"Tuffnut?"

At first, the sudden light temporarily blinded Tuffnut. When his eyes adjusted, he looked up in surprise. However, his face quickly turned to annoyance.

"Oh, you guys again," he groaned before shouting angrily. "Would you quit following me?!"

Suddenly, from behind the rock Tuffnut was sitting against, a series of other voices echoed through the caverns.

"Ruffnut!" Astrid's voice called.

"Would you quit following me?!" Ruffnut's voice replied irately.

"Did you guys here that?" Hiccup said as he and his group walked toward Tuffnut.

At that moment, Snotlout appeared around the corner on the opposite side of the cavern with a snarky expression.

"Duh," he said, "it's called an echo."

Almost immediately, Ruffnut's face sharply peeked out from behind the corner and Tuffnut turned around. Needless to say, the twins were not happy to see each other.

"What are you doing in my soggy place?!" Tuffnut gruffly said as he stood up.

"This is MY soggy place!" his twin sister snapped. "And I'm not sharing it with you!"

"Guys!" Thora quickly spoke up. "Listen, we need to get you to your dragon! It's important!"

Both the twins turned and looked at Thora with confused expressions. They certainly weren't expecting to see a Berserker in the search party.

"Wait," Tuffnut asked suspiciously, "how do YOU know about our dragons? Aren't you a Berserker?"

"That's not important right now!" Thora replied firmly. "Right now, your dragon is in real trouble!"

"I'll go." The male twin folded his arms across his chest. He then jabbed a nasty look at his sister. "But NOT with her!"

"I'm not going anywhere with HER either!" Ruffnut sneered at her brother.

"Yeah!" Tuffnut scowled before becoming confused as to what his twin just said. "Wait, what?"

"No!" Hiccup suddenly interjected. "You don't understand: you BOTH have to go!"

For a moment, the twins glanced bitterly at each other. They then turned away stubbornly and said nothing.

"Guys, listen," Hiccup continued in a calmer voice, "like it or not, you're connected to each other. And both of you are connected to that dragon. Just like me with Toothless."

"And me with Stormfly." Astrid added.

"Us, too." Fishlegs said as he petted his Gronckle dragon.

Thora, however, remained silent. She let out a small sigh of despair that was barely noticeable to everyone else. Hiccup and the others were right about the twins being connected to each other: they were family. And since Dagur is her brother as well as her only living relative, that meant she was still connected to him whether she liked it or not.

It was at that moment Thora wished for more than anything to have a dragon of her own. All she wanted was to have a bond with someone she could trust and protect, something these teen Vikings had with their dragons.

"We can get you another spoon, another dish, another stuffed yak." Hiccup explained to the twins. "What we CAN'T get you is another Barf and Belch."

While Thora had no idea what Hiccup was talking about with the spoon, dish, and stuffed yak, she did at least understand the message he was trying to get across.

"You should also be glad that you guys can at least count on each other," she spoke up. "Don't take your relationship for granted. Because you never know a good thing until it's gone."

Although still a little begrudged about their argument the other day, the two siblings glanced at each other with slightly sorrowful expressions. Finally, the both let out defeated exhales, spat in their right hands and shook hands. Of course, the then banged their head together, causing a loud "CLANG" as their helmets collided.

"You know, I did spit a little more on my hand." Tuffnut smirked.

"Okay, let's go!" Hiccup clapped his hands together. "We're out of time!"

"So why is this so important, anyway?" Tuffnut asked.

"The Berserkers are hunting down you're dragon to use its blood for ink." Snotlout casually replied.

Every eye turned to the Viking with horrified expressions. However, Hiccup looked at Snotlout with an irritated expression. Thora cringed and face-palmed herself.

"What?" Snotlout stupidly asked. "Is that NOT what's happening."

"Let's just go get that Zippleback, okay?" Thora groaned.

* * *

><p>With Tuffnut riding with Snotlout on Hookfang, Ruffnut with Astrid on Stormfly, and Thora with Hiccup on Toothless, the Dragons Riders began to quickly and carefully scan the landscape below them, searching for any sign of Barf and Belch.<p>

As they flew over the center of the island, they notice trees rustling just up ahead. Immediately, the wondering Zippleback emerged from the thicket and began to search the open area, looking for its riders.

"There they are!" Thora pointed.

"Okay, we need to get the twins down there!" Hiccup ordered.

However, to everyone's horror, before they could reach the stray dragon, out of the bushes came the Berserker hunting group. They immediately surrounded the dragon and threw ropes around each neck, dragging it to the ground.

"No!" Tuffnut shouted.

Thinking quickly, Hiccup dove down into the trees and the other dragons followed him. They carefully perched themselves onto the strongest branches they could find.

"What are we doing here?!" Tuffnut protested in a hushed voice. "We have to get our dragon!"

"We can't afford to be spotted by the Berserkers!" Thora stated.

The girl then turned and gasped in terror as she saw Dagur approach the Zippleback. She could tell by the way he was walking that was he was preparing himself for the kill. He always frightened her when he did that. It especially frightened her now because he did that same walk when he…

Terror gripped Thora so hard so fast that she involuntarily ducked her head down, digging her face into the back of Hiccup's shoulder.

"Thora!" Hiccup exclaimed silently.

"I can't watch!" the girl shivered, her voice sounding like it was going to break in fear. "I just can't!"

Hiccup quickly glanced back just as Dagur drew his sword and pointed it at the Barf's head. But just as he was about to strike the dragon down, Stoick stepped in and blocked the blow with a sword of his own.

"How DARE you!" Dagur threateningly glared at he Berkian chief.

"How dare YOU!" Stoick rebuked. "We're supposed to slay this dragon together, and that's what we'll do: in the arena, where dragon killing is done."

Dagur slowly lowered his sword and then slid it back into the sheath on his back, still looking suspiciously at Stoick.

"To the arena!" he ordered his Berserker warriors.

As the Berserkers dragged the bound dragon back to Berk, Stoick exchanged a concerned look to Gobber. The two of them then set out back to the village with the rest of Dagur's tribe.

Once the clearing was deserted, the Dragon Riders emerged from the trees and landed on the ground. They dismounted their dragons and looked at each other with worry.

"The…The chief's not going to let them kill our dragon?" Tuffnut asked.

He and his sister then asked at the same time: "Is he?"

"He won't have a choice unless we can figure out a plan." Hiccup shook his head, almost sounding defeated.

"I have a plan." Snotlout said proudly. "One word: Annihalate!"

He then did a fist motion with his arm. From behind, the Monstrous Nightmare responded to the action and shot out a stream of fire from his mouth, just grazing Snotlout's helmet and making the Viking flinch.

"Hookfang!" he grimaced.

"Or…not." Astrid rolled her eyes.

"Actually," Hiccup smirked, "that could work."

"What are guys talking about?" Thora asked.

"Just play along, Thora." Hiccup said. "We're going to stage an attack."

Although she still unsure of what the other teens were planning to do, the Berserker shield-maiden just shrugged. They obviously knew what they were doing; all she had to do was whatever they told her to do.

* * *

><p>Waiting in the corner of the arena, Thora watched with a sickening worry as Dagur approached the Zippleback. There were only a few Berserkers in the arena and most of them only had spears for weapons.<p>

"I sure hope this works," the girl nervously whispered.

"According to the Treaty," Gobber began, "the killing of the dragon must be…"

Before the Berkian blacksmith could finish, Dagur pushed him aside and began to stride up toward the frightened dragon.

"I want the head on the right," he said.

Thora bit her lip and forced herself not to look away. She couldn't look away or else she would miss the signal. Her heart began to race rapidly against her ribs and her breathing became heavy.

_"Steady, Thora!"_ she thought, trying to encourage herself. _"You can do!"_

When she spotted something move out of the corner of her eye, she glanced back up into the arena and saw that Stoick was walking toward Dagur with his sword raised. Her eyes widened as she realized what he was going to do.

He was going to kill Dagur!

But if he did, that would mean war against between Berk and the Berserkers! And that's EXACTLY what Dagur would want! She couldn't let that happen, but she couldn't let that Zippleback be killed either!

Thora became restless, but resisted the urge to rush out and stop all of this. She had to get a grip. If Hiccup's plan was going to work, she had to control herself.

Finally, she looked up and saw Hookfang begin to climb down the chain that raised the arena mesh up, she immediately sprinted into action.

That was the sign she was looking for, and not a moment too soon!

Just as Dagur was about to cut the terrified Zippleback down, and just as Stoick was about to strike her brother down, Thora rushed into the arena and shouted at the top of her lungs:

"HELP! DRAGON ATTACK!"

Everyone turned and saw the young teenaged girl point directly above them. Hookfang slowly began to climb down toward the arena like a lizard stalking its prey. When he saw Snotlout, who was approaching the entrance, stop and make the same gesture as he did before, he turned his attention to a Berserker and spat fire at him. The solider immediately raised his shield and stopped the fire from reaching him.

Hiccup, Astrid, and Fishlegs then rushed in and joined Thora, looking like they were trying to escape from a Deadly Nadder and Gronckle.

"What is going on?!" Gobber asked, confused.

"Gobber, "dragon attack"!" Stoick repeated, trying to get the message across.

When it all finally clicked, Gobber began to play along and ordered everyone to evacuate the arena.

All around her, Thora watched, as this controlled chaos broke loose. Knowing she had to make it look even more convincing, the Berserker shield-maiden drew her sword and pretended to rush at Stormfly.

"Get back, you fiend!" she shouted, trying to sound as threatening as possible.

Thora then glanced over at Astrid, who was hiding behind a wooden fence. The moment they made eye contact, Thora moved her way around Stormfly, making sure she kept her eye on the Nadder, and stopped right in front of Astrid. She glanced back for a brief second to see the Berkian shied-maiden make a whip-like motion with her finger. Stormfly responded to the signal and whipped her tail around. Thora vaulted over the dragon's spiked tail and landed with a summersault before regaining her balance on her feet.

She then glanced over and saw Dagur approach Barf and Belch again, only this time, the dragon was free from his bonds and was fighting back. She turned around to see the twins in a hidden area directing their dragon with synchronized hand signals for each head of the Zippleback.

The dragon managed to knock Dagur way with a tail-whip and began to make its way toward the gate. Dagur let out an angry cry, grabbed a nearby spear, and threw it. Just as it about to pierce Barf and Belch, Toothless, without his saddle, suddenly flew in and grabbed the spear in his mouth. He landed, spat the spear out of his mouth, and turned to face the deranged Berserker.

"A Night Fury!" the Berserker stared in amazement. "They DO exist!"

Toothless growled viciously at Dagur, bracing himself for an attack.

"Back, you…fiend, you!" Hiccup rushed over with a large shield and small dirk. "You'll not harm my friend…Dagur."

Thora couldn't help but let out a small snicker as Hiccup shield-bashed Dagur in the face, pretending to protect the Berserker from harm. Hiccup then gave a signal with his left hand just before Thora's brother shoved the Berkian boy away. Toothless, responding to the hand motion, prepared a plasma blast in his mouth. Just as he fired it, Hiccup pushed Dagur out of the way, the shot just barely missing the two of them. He then proceeded to shove Dagur towards the door.

"Please, Dagur!" Hiccup pleaded, knocking the Berserker to the ground. "Save yourself!"

Hiccup then rushed at Toothless and the Night Fury pounced on him. Stoick came up from behind Toothless and tried to pull him off of Hiccup by the tail. The Berkian boy used his shield to "defend" himself from the dragon's "attack" as the Toothless "pinned" him to the ground.

"You owe it to your people!" Hiccup shouted.

Dagur quickly got up and ordered all the Berserkers to get back to the boats.

"What about the Treaty?" Gobber quickly asked.

Dagur looked back for a minute, then at the dragon fight in the arena. The Monstrous Nightmare crawling down from the ceiling began to narrow in on him, as if warning him to go away.

"Consider it signed!" Dagur shouted before running off with the rest of his army.

As Thora raced out after her brother and her tribe, she glanced back at the others and gave a brief grin of victory as well as a thumbs-up.

They had succeeded in saving the Zippleback and avoiding war. She could finally breath easy for a while.

"Good luck, guys!" she whispered silently to the Dragon Riders. "And see you later!"

* * *

><p>After the Berserkers had set sail for home, Dagur walked up to his sister. Thora quickly turned her head away and looked down at the water rushing beside the boat, trying not to make eye contact.<p>

"So," he shrugged, "I guess Berk doesn't train dragons after all."

"And I guess that story about the Red Death was made up, too." Thora rolled her eyes, her voice contrasting with her real feelings.

"Still, there was something good that came out of all this." Dagur grinned mischievously.

"And…what would that be." Thora asked nervously.

"My dear Thora," her brother replied, his tone sounding more than a little unsettling, "we just encountered a Night Fury!"

"So…?"

"So, that means that there must be others out there!"

"That's nice." Thora slowly nodded. "Well, now that our business with Berk is done, it'll be nice to finally get back home, right?"

"Oh, Thora," Dagur grinned malevolently, "we're not going home just yet."

Thora sharply turned and looked at her brother.

"What?" her voice spiked with concern.

Dagur ignored his sister's last response and walked over to Captain Vorg.

"Vorg, tell the crew to pass the message along that we will be heading to Dragon Island." He ordered. "We're going to be doing some dragon hunting."

"What?" Vorg was surprised. "But sir…"

Before Vorg could protest any further, Dagur gave him an "evil eye" look.

"Yes, sir!" Vorg sharply nodded.

With out a moment of hesitation, the Berserker Captian immediately began to pass the message along to the rest of the fleet.

"Dagur, what are you doing?" Thora asked, hiding her worry.

"We're taking a little hunting trip." Dagur maliciously replied. "We're going to Dragon Island to find a Night Fury and kill it."

"What?!"

Thora quickly bit her lip, hoping that he didn't catch any notice of her outburst.

"I can already imagine wearing its skull as a helmet!" Dagur grinned evilly as he walked away. "OH HOOOO! This is going to be amazing!"

Thora fearfully turned and looked back at Berk as it faded on the horizon. She gripped the sides of the boat so hard that her knuckles began to turn as white as her face. It was only that that she began to realize that if Berk's secret was discovered, her friends would be in danger and there would be nothing she could do about it.

She was already burdened with not revealing Dagur's horrific crime; she didn't need this pressure now.

Really, all she could do at this point was hope that Hiccup and his friends could keep up this charade and not encounter Dagur for a long time.

"Hiccup, Toothless, all of you," she mumbled softly to herself. "Whatever you do, do not go to Dragon Island! Do NOT go to Dragon Island!"


	5. Chapter 5: Night and the Fury

**Night and the Fury**

Thora sat on the railing of the boat, munching on a delicious red apple and staring up at the full moon. It had been several weeks since Dagur had ordered the Berserker tribe to Dragon Island so he could do some dragon hunting. While most of the Berserkers would go ashore to hunt during the day with Dagur, Thora and a few others would volunteer to stay behind and take care of the armada.

Although the real reason the Berserker shield-maiden wanted to stay behind was because she didn't want to be around her brother when the bloodlust was on him.

"Nice night, isn't it Thora?"

The girl turned to the person who addressed her. It was Captain Vorg.

"I guess." Thora shrugged. "Wish I could say the same for our food stock. I'm starting to eat one apple for each supper now."

"Hmm," Vorg cast his gaze down, "at this rate, we'll have to go back to our home for more provisions."

"If Dagur lets us go back at all." The girl harshly replied, throwing the core of her apple into the water below. "He's more concerned about slaughtering dragons than he is about looking after his own tribe."

"Thora," Vorg frowned, sensing the teen's frustration, "look, I know Dagur isn't…well…he just does things differently than Osvald did."

Thora bitterly looked away and scowled at the horizon.

"Differently?!" she spat. "He has no idea what it means chief!"

"Quiet, Thora!" Vorg replied sharply. "You know the punishment for talk of treason!"

"You mean the punishment my BROTHER issued?!" the Berserker snapped in a hushed voice. "Besides, I'm just expressing an opinion, not conspiring treason! And if that's a crime then I guess I'm already condemned!"

"Honestly, Thora!" Vorg gruffly placed a hand on her shoulder, "don't make things difficult!"

Thora let out a deep exhale and down at the ocean with a defeated face.

"Okay, I'm sorry, Vorg. I just…"

The redhead girl lowered her head, holding it with her hand and bracing her arm on her leg.

"Thora, is there something on your mind?" Vorg asked, concerned.

"Not really." Thora shrugged.

"C'mon," the Captain folded his arms across his chest, "I've known you since you were a little girl and I can tell when you're hiding something. Now what's wrong?"

"I thought I wasn't suppose to say anything against Dagur?" Thora turned and looked at Vorg with an irritated face.

"As Captain, I'm in charge of following Dagur's orders," Vorg replied, "but as your guardian, I'm in charge of protecting you. And I promise whatever you tell me will not leave this conversation. Fair enough?"

Thora glanced down at the lightly rushing waves against the boat. She certainly had no intention on telling Vorg about Berk training dragons. She made a promise to Hiccup, Toothless, and the other dragon riders that she would not reveal their secret. And she was going to keep it no matter what.

Still, there was something she had to get off her chest.

"Okay," Thora finally nodded, "it's about Dagur."

"What about him?"

"C'mon, you've seen him." the Berserker girl groaned. "He's an absolute nut-case. Ever since he…father passed away, Dagur has shown multiple times that he only uses the armada and our people to hunt dragons and doesn't care about the Berserker tribe at all."

Thora took a deep breath, trying to steady the sudden racing of her heart. She almost let the _other_ secret slip. Although she hated this secret with a flaming passion, if Dagur ever found out she revealed it, she would be dead in an instant.

"I mean," she calmly continued, "I know he's eldest and by tradition he's meant to be the next chief after father, but even dad could see that wasn't fit to govern the tribe. He only cares about himself and what he wants. He says he wants to return the Berserkers to their "former glory", but really in it for himself."

Thora then hugged herself and frowned. "I don't want to be selfish, but I don't think I can live like this anymore. There are days where I wish I could just…run away."

From behind Thora, out of range of her peripheral vision, Vorg looked down at one of his pockets on his belt. He opened it slightly, revealing a piece of paper. He stared at it for a few minutes with a very pensive expression. Finally, he took a deep breath and nodded, as if agreeing to something. He then grabbed the girl by the shoulder in firm grip. She sharply turned and looked at him with a surprised face.

"Vorg!" she exclaimed.

"Thora," his voice sounded serious and dark, "there's something you need to know."

"What is it?" the girl became nervous at the sudden urgency.

"Listen," the Captain tightened his grip, "what I'm about to tell will put you in danger, but you need to know this."

Thora's heart began to beat hard against her ribs and her breathing began to become heavy. What did she need to know? What was Vorg trying to tell her? And why would it put her in danger?

"You have to run!" Vorg suddenly stated. "Run as far away as you can!"

"What?!" Thora sharply whispered. "Vorg, what are you talking about?!"

Vorg reached for the piece of paper in his in his pocket.

"Thora, your father…"

Suddenly, there was a piercing sound of an explosion on the island behind them. Thora and Vorg both turned sharply around in time to see a purple blast of light and something fall off the edge of the cliff. The figure bounced off of several rocks before landing on the beach. It then immediately got up ran across the beach toward the ships.

"DRAGON ATTACK!"

It was Dagur.

"DRAGON ATTACK!"

Thora then spotted movement up in the sky. She glanced up and saw a series of dragons flying away. She didn't need the daylight to see what they were. Besides, she recognized those plasma blasts from earlier. There was only one dragon she knew who could do that.

"Oh no!" she fearfully whispered under breath, her blood running as cold as ice.

Those purple blasts were definitely from Toothless. And if Toothless was here, then so was Hiccup. Judging by how Dagur was running back toward the ships, Thora could only guess that the worst had happened.

Berk's secret had been revealed!

Suddenly, Vorg sharply turned back to Thora and quickly whispered: "Thora, do not tell anyone about this conversation! You're life depends on it!"

"But Vorg!" Thora whispered back. "I don't understand!"

"Just don't say anything about this!" Vorg's voice sounded dark and serious.

Although she was confused and was slowly becoming afraid, the Berserker shield-maiden sharply nodded.

/

The moment Dagur returned to the main ship, Thora's greatest fear had been confirmed.

Her brother WAS confronted by Hiccup and Toothless.

From what she could gather from the story, Hiccup and his friends were on the island, pretending to be hunting dragons. But the moment Dagur had the Night Fury cornered, Hiccup revealed the secret and fought the Berserker chief off to protect his dragon.

Although Thora was amazed by hearing how Hiccup stood up to Dagur the way he did, she was too busy worrying about the fact that Dagur had discovered the secret of Berk. Still, the girl forced her face to be as blank as possible. She couldn't let anyone see her afraid.

However, she apparently wasn't the only one wearing a façade.

"So Berk does train dragons." Vorg sneered. "I should kill that runt for lying."

"NO!"

Dagur suddenly rushed at Vorg and pinned him against the mast, making Thora flinch and catch a sharp breath of air.

"No one hurts Hiccup!" the Berserker chief growled. "NO ONE…except me!"

Dagur then let Vorg go and turned back to the island and gave a wicked grin.

"And not until after I have his Night Fury. And I WILL have it!"

As the Berserker Armada began to set sail for home, Thora walked to over to the stern of the boat and looked over in the general direction of Berk. She kept her promise, yet the dragons were discovered. Now Dagur would hunt relentlessly after Toothless, and possibly Hiccup, too. And knowing Dagur, he would probably use this as a perfect excuse to go to war against Berk.

To make matters worse, Thora felt absolutely helpless to do anything about it.

If she only had a dragon of her own, then maybe she could something. But right now, the feeling of being helpless began to eat away at her and threatened to consume her sanity.

No! She had to compose herself!

Hiccup and Toothless may have been discovered, but they weren't harmed…yet. But if Hiccup could train a Night Fury and defeat a Red Death, then he may have a chance against her brother…hopefully.

The most Thora could do to help the Dragon Riders right now was to put on a show and remain the quiet girl that Dagur expected her to always be.

Right now, it was all she could do. But that still didn't change the fact that Dagur's wrath was coming.

"Hiccup," Thora whispered to herself, "you better be ready for what's coming."


	6. Chapter 6: A View to a Skrill Part 1

**A View to a Skrill Part 1**

_Several days later…_

Thora, Vorg, and Dagur all stood on a longboat. The sky was grey and overcast with the mixture of the clouds and nighttime darkness as their tribe began to crowd around the ship; eagerly awaiting the news Dagur was about to tell them.

"My brothers!" Dagur stepped forward and proclaimed. "This is a historic day for the Berserker tribe! After many years and many searches, Captian Vorg has found…a Skrill!"

Like a judge raising an athlete's hand in the air, Dagur gruffly threw Vorg's hand up. The Berserkers on the shore cheered in triumph at the announcement. Some clanged their swords and axes together, adding to the atmosphere of excitement as Dagur spoke.

"It is such a great occasion…"

Before he continued on with his speech, Dagur harshly twisted Vorg's wrist back. Thora flinched and watched as the Captain's face twisted in pain and he struggled to hold back an outburst of agony.

"I am willing to forgive his failure to bring it to me!"

The Berserker chief then shoved Vorg to the ground and kicked him the back.

"Get up!" Dagur spat.

As Dagur moved away, Thora immediately ran over to Vorg and knelt down beside him with a worried expression.

"I'm alright, Thora." Vorg said painfully through his teeth.

The Berserker shield-maiden helped the Captain back to his feet as Dagur continued his speech.

"For centuries, the Skrill has represented our strength, our power, our ferocity! As long as "Hiccup" and his little "dragon club" have OUR dragon, we will not rest!"

The roars from the crowd became more and more intense. Thora gave a small scowl as Dagur insulted her friends. But since his back was towards her, he didn't notice. He just continued on with his speech.

"We will take the Skrill out of his frail, little hands, and destroy that Night Fury together!"

Finally, the Berserker tribe erupted into a simultaneous roar that could be heard all the way back to the village. Dagur maliciously grinned at the sight and Thora could almost see his thoughts on how to destroy the Dragon Riders swirling in his mind.

She swallowed hard, forcing back her slowly rising panic.

* * *

><p><em>Early the next morning…<em>

As the Berserker tribe got three ships ready to set sail, Thora wandered over to the bow of the main ship and stared almost helplessly out to the sea. She knew it was a matter of time before Dagur would find an excuse to launch an attack on Berk. And now that the Berkains had a Skrill, he got his opportunity.

To make matters worse, he was also seeking a magnificent creature, only to lock it up and never let it go, just like he does with anything.

"You ready for this, Thora?"

The Berserker shield-maiden glanced over her shoulder at Vorg as he spoke to her. She frowned and stared down at the water gently rippling alongside the boat.

"No," she said softly, "but it's not like I have a choice."

"It's going to be fine." Vorg gripped her shoulder. "We'll stop the Dragon Riders and get that Skrill."

Upon hearing that, Thora clenched her fists and whipped around, scowling Vorg stepped back in surprise when he saw her face.

"And watch Dagur capture and destroy two beautiful creatures?!" she snapped. "That's all he's good at!"

"Thora, calm down!" Vorg commanded in a hushed voice.

"No! I've had enough! Dagur's insane and…"

Before Thora couldn't continue her rant, Vorg forcibly cupped his hand over her mouth and practically backed her up into the crested dragonhead on the tip of the bow. The girl squirmed to get out of his grip, but to no avail.

"Listen, Thora!" the man said in a dark voice. "You are walking on a razor's edge with this! If Dagur hears you, there's nothing I can do! If you want to live to see the next day, then I suggest you hold your tongue! Do you understand me, Thora?!"

Narrowing her eyes, the Berserker shield-maiden nodded.

Vorg took his hand away and Thora stumbled forward. It was at that moment that Dagur walked up the gangplank. His confidence and anticipation for battle was unmistakable. He was ready for blood.

"Vorg," he commanded, "raise the sail! We're heading out!"

As the ships began to sail across the sea, Thora took a deep breath of salty sea air and stared out over the horizon.

"Hiccup," she fearfully whispered, "I hope you're ready for what's coming."

* * *

><p>A few hours later, after sailing across nothing but open sea, the little fleet of Berserkers finally found something.<p>

"Dagur, up there!" Vorg pointed.

Dagur and Thora ran over to the front of the ship and leaned over the railing on opposite sides. Just little ways off were a series of black dots that seemed dancing around just above the surface of the water.

Thora squinted, trying to bring the scene into focus. When the images grew closer, her eyes widened in horror.

It was Hiccup and the Dragon Riders, and they were pursuing the Skrill!

Dagur saw them, too. And he didn't hesitate for a moment.

"It's the Night Fury!" he shouted. "Attack!"

Thora whipped around in time to see several Berserkers ready their weapons and lunch their attacks immediately. She then looked back at Hiccup and the others. She desperately wanted to shout, "Hiccup, look out!". But she knew that if she did, Dagur would cut her down on the spot. She mustered up as much self control as she could gather to remain silent.

It was agonizing to watch as the little team of Dragon Riders were just barely evading the oncoming attacks that seemed to be coming out of nowhere. Finally, Hiccup looked over in their direction, and the look on his face was one of alarm.

"Surprise, surprise, Hiccup!" Dagur laughed dramatically before glaring at the young boy. "Now, get your dainty little hands off my Skrill!"

The Berserkers immediately prepared for another attack. The moment they saw this, Hiccup and the Dragon Riders immediately turned around and began to fly away, occasionally defending themselves by shooting down catapulted boulders or dodging arrows.

When they got out of range and disappeared among the clouds, Thora let out a small, unnoticeable sigh of relief. At least they got away.

"Ha, ha!" Vorg heartily chuckled. "They're running!"

Dagur angrily whipped around and marched up to the Captain. Although Dagur was slightly smaller than Vorg, the burly man was still intimidated by his chief.

"They're regrouping, you idiot!" Dagur snapped. "That's it, you're relieved of duty!"

The next thing Thora knew, Dagur shoved Vorg aside and he fell off the boat and into the water.

"Vorg!" she shouted.

"Leave him!" Dagur growled. "We have more important things to worry about!"

The Berserker chief then looked up in the sky and stared at the dragon flying around in it.

"My Skrill is glorious!" he said with a twisted happiness. "The legend doesn't do it justice! A dragon that can go head-to-head with Hiccup and his Night Fury! And they will both be mine!"

"Wait, THAT'S why you want the Skirll?!" Thora was dumbfounded by what she just heard. "Just so you can fight Hiccup and the Night Fury?! You honestly are putting your people in danger just so you can get a dragon. Just so you can KILL another dragon?!"

"Pretty much." Dagur smirked, as if he was okay with the situation.

Thora was livid.

"You…YOU…!"

"Say anything more," Dagur turned around and glared at his sister, "and you'll be sleeping with the fishes tonight!"

Despite her anger growing, Thora bit her tongue and stepped back.

"That's what I thought." Dagur sneered.

Suddenly, something sped right past them. The next thing they knew, one of the ships had caught fire. Thora looked over in the dirction and saw that Astrid and her dragon, Stormfly, had swept in and launched a surprise attack of their own.

Immediately, Snotlout and his Monstrous Nightmare flew in from above and set fire to the second boat. Then Fishlegs and his Gronckle came in from the side and attacked the main boat.

Thora ducked down behind the side to avoid getting hit by the Nadder's tail spikes. She looked over to where the Skirll was and saw its silhouette. Just above it was another shadow of a two-headed dragon with a rider on each head, which she guessed to be the twins and their Hideous Zippleback. She watched them and noticed that they were flying in a straight line over the Skrill.

When they stopped, there was a small moment of hesitation before the sky erupted with a huge burst of fire. The Skrill, startled by the attack, began to shoot down towards the ocean.

Thora wanted to see what happened next, but was immediately distracted by Snotlout and Hookfang bombarding their ship, shouting something stupid in gibberish.

She then heard a close sound of rippling water and looked over the side of the boat. It sounded like someone was swimming up to the boat and trying to climb aboard.

"Vorg!" Thora exclaimed, remembering the poor man had been thrown overboard.

With Thora's help, Vorg managed to hoist himself back up onto the boat. Thora was about to ask him if he was okay when the sound of thunder caught their attention. They both looked up and saw among the clouds the Skrill chasing Hiccup and Toothless.

"Sir, look!" Vorg shouted to Dagur.

Dagur looked in the direction Vorg had pointed and grinned with satisfaction.

"Well, well, it doesn't look like Hiccup will catch my Skrill either."

Thora glared at her brother when he said that.

"The Skrill is NOT YOURS!" she bitterly whispered under her breath.

"Perhaps we should withdraw and come back for the Skrill another day." Vorg suggested, seeing that the dragons outmatched the whole fleet.

Dagur, on the other hand, paid no attention to Vorg's request. Instead, he ordered the fight to continue.

Every fiber in Thora's body wanted to punch that deranged man so hard that it would send him all the way to Valhalla, but her mind kept screaming to her to control herself. If she started a fight with Dagur now, she would be seen as a traitor and would have nowhere to run.

Still, that didn't keep her from feeling angered about this guy's total disregard for the safety of his people. She knew Dagur was selfish, but this was on a whole new level.

Thora then looked back up at the sky and saw the Skrill was chasing the twins. She caught her breath when she saw that it shot out a stream of white fire toward them. She winced and waited for the moment the lightning hit them. However, Hiccup and Toothless suddenly flew up from nowhere and shot a plasma blast at the Skrill's attack.

The moment the two shots met, an enormous ball of blue, white, and purple electrical energy exploded and pushed everything within a large radius away, practically knocking them out of the sky.

Thora only had few minutes to react when she saw that Hiccup and Toothless were falling right toward the ship she was on. Not to mention, they were heading straight for _her_!

She quickly dove out of the way, landing hard on her stomach and covered her head. The boat rocked and swayed as the Night Fury smacked right onto the deck.

The Berserker shield-maiden opened her eyes and gasped when saw that she was staring directly into Toothless' face. At first the dragon looked at her with a dazed expression. When he recognized her, he gave a small purr, as if happy to see her.

"Toothless?!" Thora yelped in spite of herself.

"Thora!" Hiccup exclaimed.

"Night Fury!"

Everyone looked over and saw Dagur running directly toward Hiccup and Toothless with his axe in his hand. Before he reached them, however, Toothless got to his feet and immediately took off into the sky, just barely missing Dagur's strike

"NO!" the Berserker shouted, waving his axe in the air.

He then turned to Thora, who was just getting to her feet.

"You let them get away!" he jabbed a finger at her.

"What was I suppose to do?!" Thora rebuked, stepping back. "I had a Night Fury in my face! He could've easily bitten my head off!"

Suddenly, Dagur swung his axe and point the blade dangerously close to Thora's throat. The girl leaned further back until she felt like she was going to fall off the boat. She stared nervously at the axe, as it was now just touching her neck.

"Just don't let it happen again!" Dagur growled viciously.

Dagur lowered his axe and turned to Vorg.

"They're retreating," he stated, "set a course for the nearest island."

Vorg hesitated for a moment, glance at Thora to make sure she was okay. Thora sensed Vorg's worry and gave a brief nod. The Captian of the Berserker fleet then followed his orders and relayed the message to the rest of the ships.

Thora turned around and watched as Hiccup, Astrid, Snotlout, and Fishlegs all fly away on their dragons. She let out a deep exhale, glad they were at least okay.

"Wait?" she said as she looked at the group again. "Where are Ruffnut and Tuffnut? And…where'd the Skrill go?"

* * *

><p><em>Sunset…<em>

As the Berserker fleet made its way across the sea, they spotted something on the horizon. As that something drew closer, they saw that it was another Viking ship, only it wasn't one of Berk's ships. Soon, it was close enough that they could see it had the skull of a Monstrous Nightmare on the bowsprit.

It was Alvin the Treacherous!

Normally, the Berserker fleet would've just past by Alvin's ship and not bother him. However, the Viking in question had acquired something that interested Dagur very much.

The Skrill!

Thora didn't know how the Outcasts got the dragon, but she could plainly see it on the deck, bound by ropes and snarling viciously at its captors.

As the two Viking tribes approached each other, Alvin simply let Dagur onto his boat. Which was strange, as Thora was half-expecting Alvin to launch an attack. Still, she was grateful that the Outcast didn't resort to that.

"Well, Alvin," Dagur smirked, looking at the captured dragon, "I see you've found our Skrill."

"It's not your Skrill, Dagur." Alvin gruffly corrected. "Finders, keepers after all."

"True," Dagur said twirling his axe, "but tell me, do you have any knowledge of how to treat this dragon?"

Alvin paused for a moment, only letting out a small huff of frustration.

"You see, Al," Dagur said casually, "the Berserkers have great knowledge of the Skrill, and we both want the same thing: to destroy Berk. So what do you say we put aside our differences for now and team up."

"I know you better than that, Dagur." Alvin said. "You just want the Skrill, right?"

"True," the Berserker chief shrugged, "but you also know that we both want to level Berk to the ground. So we can help each other, right?"

Alvin stared at Dagur with suspicion for a few moments. Finally, he sharply nodded and the two shook hands. Orders were then issued that both fleets would return to Outcast Island for further planning.

From where she was, Thora looked at the Skrill with a distressed face. Seeing this powerful, radiant creature bound, captured, and even afraid was enough to make her want to cry. She fought back her tears for her own sake, but the sight was still painful to look at.

"You shouldn't belong to anyone!" she whispered sadly to herself.

The dragon glanced over toward the shield-maiden. For a brief moment, their eyes met. The Skrill stared at the young Viking girl for a long time. Although it had a burning hatred toward all Vikings after what he had been through, there was just something about this one that seemed to be…different.

Thora's eyes widened as the Skrill's eye locked right onto her. The stare was penetrating, and slightly intimidating, but she couldn't seem to tear herself away from the dragon's gaze. It wasn't like the glares he had given to the other Vikings; it was something totally different. Yet, it felt familiar for some reason.

Since Alvin and Dagur's ships sailed beside each other, the Berserker shield-maiden and the Skrill didn't take their eyes off of each other until they reached the Outcasts' home.


	7. Chapter 7: A View to a Skrill Part 2 1

**A View to a Skrill Part 2 1/2**

Night had fallen and a thunderstorm rattled the sky as Alvin and his people dragged the Skrill into the dragon arena. While everyone watched this radiant creature writhe and struggle against its bonds with either amazement or pleasure, Thora stared on in despair. This animal was so amazing, and everyone was treating it like it was some trophy. The sight of this made her heart painfully sink.

As if proud of his work, Dagur stepped forward and grinned.

"The Skrill," he said. "Dragon of my people. So beautiful, so supple, so furious…"

"Bah," a Viking named Mildew spat as he walked up from behind, "the only thing a dragon understands is a staff to the snout!"

Just as the old man raised his staff to strike the Skrill, Dagur stuck out his axe and stopped him.

"Touch him with that stick and I'll make you eat it," the Berserker threatened.

Mildew paused for a moment and stepped back.

"You have no idea what you're dealing with, do you?" Dagur sneered. "Because if you did, you'd have this dragon safely out of the storm."

"And why is that?" Mildew snarled.

"He draws his power from lightning, smelly old man." Dagur wrinkled his nose.

"Bah," Mildew spat again, "that's nothing but an old dragon's tale."

Suddenly, the Skrill lowered itself to the ground and a lightning bolt stuck it. Thora watched in amazement as the dragon absorbed the power of the lightening and glared at Dagur. Although the Berserker wasn't looking back at the Skrill, he sidestepped out of the way just as the dragon shot out a burst of white fire at him.

The bolt hit Mildew instead and sent him flying backwards.

"Man, I love it when I'm right." Dagur smirked.

After he hit the ground and fell over on his back, Mildew jolted up and began to speak in some kind of gibberish. He also had a very dazed expression on his face and he appeared to have smoke rising off of him. Thora couldn't help but snicker a little. Although she felt guilty about laughing at someone's pain, she just couldn't help herself.

However, he attention was soon drawn back to the Skrill as the rest of the Berserkers and Outcasts forced it into a little cage. They then tied its muzzled almost completely shut and tied its tail to the back of the cell, nearly forcing it to the ground. She painfully watched as Dagur strode up to it and maliciously grinned at the captured dragon.

"Not to worry, baby," he said in a twisted, dark voice. "When we get you all harnessed up, you'll be free to strike anyone you want. Or, more precisely, anyone…I want."

Dagur chuckled viciously and the Skrill looked back at him with a hateful stare, releasing some static at the same time.

"The Skrill isn't yours yet, Dagur." Alvin pointed out. "You'll get your prize, but only after you fulfill the terms of our deal."

Dagur, who gave a small face of annoyance, turn around and quickly put on a smile, trying to hide his true intentions. He then walked away, toward the exit of the arena, shoving aside some outcasts.

Soon after Alvin had walked a good distance away from the cell, Thora cautiously walked over and looked at the Skrill. Once again, their eyes met. Although the dragon still showed a sense of hatred, his face softened a little when he saw the young girl. Thora place a hand on the cell bars as tears started to form in her eyes.

"So you're trapped just like me," she softly said. "I'm sorry I can't do more to help you."

Thora then looked around carefully, fished inside her hip-pouch and pulled out a small slab of lamb meat.

"Here," she said. "It's now supper, but it's better than nothing. I wasn't going to eat it anyway."

Thora carefully tossed the piece of meat into the cell and it landed right in front of the Skrill. Instead of gobbling up the piece, the dragon just slightly growled at it and looked at Thora with suspicion.

"You don't need to worry about me," she calmly stated. "I'm not like them."

At that moment, Thora heard the voices of Alvin and his second-in-command, Savage talking just a few feet away from her.

"Remind me again why we're working with this lunatic." Savage said.

"His knowledge of the Skrill and the size of his fleet." Alvin replied. "We need both to make sure we reclaim Berk. After we have, we'll dispose of 'em all."

Thora caught her breath.

Alvin was planning to betray them!

Of course, she should've seen it coming. While the bitter side of her could care less about what happened to Dagur, it was the rest of her tribe she was worried about. On top of that, Berk was going to be under threat by both the Outcast and Berserker fleets.

"What do I do now?" she whispered under her breath, her voice full of worry.

"Thora!" Dagur impatiently called. "C'mon, we have a meeting to get to!"

"Coming." Thora sighed.

As she left, the young Berserker shield-maiden looked back over her shoulder at the Skrill. She smiled a little when she saw it grab the piece of meet in its mouth and managed to swallow it.

* * *

><p>Later, Thora soon found herself standing around Alvin's throne room while the said Viking and Dagur discussed their plans to take out Berk. A slowly dying fire in the center of a stone table only lighted the room with a gold and red color. Alvin and Dagur sat on opposite sides of table, and four Berserker soldiers stood stock-still on one side with four Outcast soldiers facing them on the other.<p>

The tension in the air was noticeable by everyone.

"Alright, Dagur," Alvin said. "Let's talk strategy."

"Oo, strategy, strategy, I LOVE strategy!" Dagur exclaimed with exaggerated enthusiasm. "You first."

"My fleet will lead…" Alvin began

"Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah," Dagur stopped the Outcast chief and casually stood up, "let me stop you there, big boy." The Berserker slowly walked over toward his soldiers. "Try this on for size: my fleet, lead by the glorious Skrill, will lay siege to the Dragon Training Arena…"

Dagur suddenly grabbed on of the Berserker by the neck with his arms and began to choke him.

"…And INCAPACITAE HICCUP and his NIGHT FURY…" he stated viciously.

Thora let out a small gasp at the statement and flinched. She knew perfectly well that her brother wanted revenge on Hiccup and Toothless, but it always disturbed her when he brought it up.

Dagur then let the soldier go, who collapsed to his feet, and continued to explain his plan in a blasé voice.

"…While you and your little fleet of rejects blockade their harbor."

Alvin, however, wasn't too keen on the plan. He slammed his mug down onto the table and stood up.

"I don't think so!" he said as he marched over to Dagur and stood in front of him. "First I get Berk. Then, and ONLY then, do you get the Skrill!"

"Really?" Dagur raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah." Alvin growled. "Really!"

For a moment, there was a long, strained pause. Finally, Dagur shrugged and said:

"Geez, Al. Don't get your skivvies in a bunch. Fine. We'll do it your way."

Although still suspicious of the Berserker chief, Alvin turned away and walked back toward his seat, stopping to talk to one of his soldiers. Vorg then went up to Dagur and said in a low voice:

"Remind me why we're working with him again."

"Because we want that Skrill." Dagur replied in a low voice, but not low enough for Thora to not hear. "Once we have it, we'll dispose of him."

Thora's eyes widened in shock. She should've known that Dagur was planning to betray Alvin. And for what? The claim to a Skrill, and the hide of a Night Fury!

Thora rubbed her hands together, desperately trying to come up with a plan. She couldn't let any of this happen. She wouldn't let her people suffer because of her brother. But what could she do? The only thing she could think of was to set the Skrill free. If it were gone, there would be no alliance. But if she did that, then she would basically be signing her own death warrant.

Besides, she had no way of sneaking out without getting caught.

"And I was thinking," Dagur grinned, "there are some really, REALLY fun ways we could do that. See…"

Dagur stopped in mid-sentence, because at that instance there was the sound of smacking.

"Who is smacking their food?" Dagur called out. "I HATE smacking! My father used to smack!"

Everyone immediately turned around and Thora's eyes widened when she saw who was munching on a leg of mutton.

"Tuffnut?!" she whispered under her breath. "What's he doing here?!"

Suddenly aware that he had been discovered, Tuffnut looked up in surprise and spat out a piece of the meat.

"Sorry," he casually said, "I hate it when my mouth does that."

The Berkian then pointed to his mouth.

"Cut it out, Mouth!"

He then pointed to his nose.

"Shut up, Nose! Heh, they don't like each other."

Dagur suddenly darted toward Tuffnut and place the blade of his axe at his throat, making the Berkian lead back over the table.

"Who are you?" the Berserker asked suspiciously.

Tuffnut nervously swallowed hard before replying:

"Uh, me? I'm, uh…I'm Buffnut. You know, Buffnut the Berserker."

Thora grinned, trying to prevent herself from laughing. Buffnut? The Berkian couldn't think of a better name than that?

Well then again, this _was_ Tuffnut. From what Thora had seen of him, he didn't to have too many brain cells working in his head.

"You're one of mine?" Dagur asked suspiciously to Tuffnut. "What were you doing back there?"

"Uh," Tuffnut replied, "Well, I was, uh…composing a poem in honor of your new deal with Alvin, and I got hungry, because poetry is very exhausting. You gotta have something every six lines."

"A poem, eh?" Dagur took his axe away. "Let me hear it. If I like it, I won't chop your legs off. Now!"

"Uh, right." Tuffnut stood up. "Yeah, yeah, definitely need those legs for the running and…walking stuff. 'There was once a village called Berk. Run by a big Viking jerk. Blasting him would be thrilling, then you'd go a-skrilling and show us how to be…Berserk?'"

Both Tuffnut and Thora anxiously waited for Dagur to decide it whether he liked the poem or not. He seemed to find it confusing more than anything. For one agonizing moment, it wasn't really clear if he liked it or not.

"I would go…a-skrilling." Dagur tapped the handle of his axe with his index finger.

He then looked back at Tuffnut and smirked.

"Ha, I like it!" he said. "You can keep your legs! In fact, yack ribs and burly cakes for my friend, Buffnut!"

Dagur then threateningly turned around and pointed his axe at the Berkian.

"But no smacking!" he growled. "I hate, HATE smacking!"

The moment Dagur put the axe down and walked away, Thora let out a sigh of relief. She then drew the air back in again when Mildew came walking up to the table of food.

Tuffnut saw Mildew at the same moment Mildew saw him. Mildew dropped his piece of cake and cried out in alarm. However, that previous blast from the Skrill still left him talking gibberish. Still, Tuffnut had to keep the suspicion off of himself.

"Oh, what is your village babbler going on about now?" Dagur groaned, feeling the sharpness of his axe.

Thinking quickly, Tuffnut shoved Mildew aside.

"So uh," the Berkian teen immediately said, "did I mention how much I hate Berk? Directions to Berk! North till you smell it, west till you step in it! Am I right people? C'mon!"

Everyone in the room immediately burst laughed at the joke. Even Thora gave a little giggle. However, after the initial snicker, she suddenly realized that Tuffnut could actually be of use. Everyone was focused on him doing his routine, and there was no one guarding the door.

This was her chance.

At first, she casually walked around the group from behind toward the exit so as not to draw attention to herself. When she reached the door, she slowly opened it up just a crack and slipped right out.

"Thanks, "Buffnut"." she whispered.

She then immediately ran off toward the dragon arena, keeping close to the shadows and avoiding the other guards as much as possible.

She only had one shot at this, so she had to make it count.


	8. Chapter 8: A View to a Skrill Part 2 2

**A View to a Skrill Part 2 2/2**

BANG!

BANG!

The Skrill jerked awake in alert when he heard those sounds. He snarled and looked around his cell. When he caught the sight of movement outside his peripheral vision, he whipped his head around and saw that two Vikings standing by the exit of the arena had been knocked unconscious. He then narrowed his vision at the small figure running towards his cage.

It was that Viking girl again.

The next thing the dragon knew, when the human reached his cage, she grabbed the metal bars and began to pull it off. The Skrill growled as she did so.

"Quiet!" she said in a hushed voice. "I'm trying to help you!"

The dragon paused and coiled back slightly. Did she say she was trying to help him?

With a loud "CLANG", the girl lifted the gate open. She then carefully walked into the cage. The Skrill growled threateningly and forcibly caused static to emanate from his body.

"Easy, boy!" the girl gently replied, her voice still sounding hushed. "Just take it easy! I'm not going to hurt you!"

However, the dragon became even more unconvinced when he saw her pull a small, sharp object out of her pocket. If it weren't for the rope clamping his mouth shut, he would've either let out a terrifying roar or blasted her with a bolt of lightning. Instead, he squirmed and tried to strike her with his wings.

The Viking sensed his anger and fear and stepped back, just out of reach of his wings. She nervously looked over her shoulder for a brief second and then back at the Skrill.

"Easy!" she said. "I'm just going to cut the ropes!"

The Skrill gave a skeptical snarl.

"Tell you what," the girl replied, "let's make a deal: don't attack me and I'll set you free."

The dragon glared at the girl for a brief moment. This creature was a Viking. And so far, he hadn't had a very good experience with any Vikings. He was chased, attacked, or captured by them all in the same day. These should be the last things for him to trust.

However, there was something different about this one. She didn't have the same cunning or villainous stare in her eyes as the ones that captured him did. She had a look of kindness in face and eyes. However, that kindness seemed to be mixed with fear and loneliness.

The Skrill's eyes then softened slightly and he gave a noticeable nod, agreeing to the girl's deal.

The little Viking immediately ran to the back of the cage and grabbed hold of the rope the bound dragon's tail to a hook in the wall. She immediately cut it and the Skrill felt the bond loosen immediately. He moved his tail slightly as the girl then cut the ropes that were tied around his neck. When she had cut those, she then ran to the dragon's face. The moment she cut off the rope muzzling his mouth shut, the dragon shoved her aside and raced out of the cage.

The Skrill flapped his wings for a moment to stretch them out. He then sharply looked around and saw that the exit was wide open. However, he didn't immediately dart for it like he did on Berk.

Instead, he turned his head and looked back at the small female Viking.

* * *

><p>Thora stared at the Skrill for a moment. Why wasn't he flying away? He was free; he should be racing out of here as fast at he could.<p>

"Go on!" she commanded. "You're free now! Get out of here! Hurry!"

The dragon hesitated for a second. He then immediately turned away and race out of the arena.

Thora watched the Skrill fly off into the sky and disappear among the sea stacks. She let out a sigh of both relief and gladness. She felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off of her soul. She finally managed to do something right.

However, reality snapped back to her like she had been shocked. She had to get out of the arena and fast. If she were to be caught, Dagur wouldn't hesitate to kill her.

Thora raced out of the arena. Shortly after she disappeared around a corner, Dagur and a few of his soldiers came walking in. However, his face of confidence soon vanished when he saw the open cage before him, and his prized dragon was nowhere in sight.

"THE SKRILL IS GONE!" he roared in anger.

* * *

><p>When she heard that Dagur found out the Skrill had escaped and was going to confront Alvin about it, Thora soon found herself racing down to the docks just in time to see the two chiefs of the Outcasts and Berserkers about to engage in a sword and axe fight.<p>

"What did you do with our Skrill?!" Alvin shouted to Dagur.

"It's not yours, Alvin!" Dagur rebuked. "It was ours! It was always ours! Now, where is it?!"

"How should I know?!" Alvin bellowed. "Why would I steal OUR own dragon?!"

"You moved it!" Dagur raged. "Admit it!"

"Well, what were you doing in the arena in the first place!?" You were planning to STEAL it?!"

"What if I was?! The Skrill is OURS!"

Suddenly, Alvin lunged forward and Dagur only had a second to block the oncoming attack with his axe.

"TELL ME WHERE THE SKRILL IS!" the Outcast demanded in a vicious tone. "OR I'LL ORDER MY ARMY TO WIPE YOUR TRIBE OUT!"

"BRING IT ON, ALVIN!" Dagur smiled maliciously, enjoying the sound of violence.

Despite the fight going on, Thora looked around fearfully when she saw the Outcasts were beginning to advance on the Berserkers. Her heart hammered against her ribs and lungs in absolute terror. Her tribe was in trouble and it was all her fault. And Dagur wasn't helping things with his lust for battle. She didn't doubt that the Berserkers could beat the Outcasts, but she didn't want any bloodshed from anyone.

She had to put a stop to this! And she had to do it now!

The Berserker shield-maiden finally took a deep breath, summoning all of her courage, leapt onto the one of the boats, grabbed her shield, drew her sword, leapt back over the side of the ship and landed on the docks.

"STOP!" she screamed with full volume in her voice.

At that moment, everyone stopped. They then turned and looked at the young Berserker, whose face was very pale, but very determined as well.

"I set the Skrill free!" Thora boldly admitted.

At that confession, everyone froze in disbelief.

While Alvin looked at the girl with anger and surprise, Dagur's face went very, very dark with unspeakable rage.

From where he was on the docks, Vorg stared at Thora with worry. There was nothing he could do for her now. She had just sealed her fate.

"Why would you do that?!" Dagur growled viciously, advancing on his sister.

"The Skrill doesn't belong to any of you!" Thora shouted with full conviction. "It was meant to fly free!"

"You do realize what this means, Thora!" Dagur marched up to his sister. "You've just committed an act of treason!"

"I know that!" Thora prepared herself for an attack. "But I'm not going down without a fight!"

"You'll seriously take me on me right now?!"

"I've got nothing to lose!"

Dagur suddenly lunged at Thora. The shield-maiden quickly brought up her sword and blocked the attack. She then shield-bashed her brother away, knocking him over and causing him to fall down onto the dock. She then ran and jumped over him. Just before she landed, Dagur grabbed her ankle, causing her to lose her balance and fall down. She hit the metal structure and grimaced as shots of pain hit her chest. She looked over her shoulder just in time to see Dagur raise his axe.

Thora rolled out of the way just as Dagur brought the axe down. Once she was over on her back, she kicked him in the face. The Berserker chief staggered back, rubbing his chin painfully. Thora used the opportunity to get back onto her feet and grab her sword.

After he recovered, Dagur fixed Thora with a hateful scowl and darted towards her. Thora managed to raise her shield up and block the blow. However, Dagur put all of his weight into the attack and refused to let her escape.

Thora strained, using all of her strength to keep Dagur's attack from reaching her. However, she felt her limbs beginning to ache and her feet were starting to slip.

"Give up, Thora!" Dagur snarled. "You can't win!"

"I'll never surrender to you!" Thora replied through her teeth.

"If not…"

Dagur then kicked Thora in the stomach, sending her flying back and falling onto the dock. Thora lost a grip on her sword and it spun away from her. She grimaced and curled up into a ball, her abdomen aching from her brother's kick.

"…Then at least you may have a place in Valhalla!" Dagur wickedly said.

Thora scowled up at Dagur as he chuckled evilly and raised his axe. This was the end and Thora knew it, but she was at least going to go down with dignity and not look away.

But before Dagur could deliver that fatal blow, there was a near ear-piercing shriek and the sound of thunder drawing closer.

The next thing Thora knew, something came down from above and pinned her to the dock. Dagur and everyone jumped back and away from the mighty creature that had just landed.

It was the Skrill!

Thora looked up at the creature as its talon foot held her down firmly, still leaving just enough room for her to breath. She tried to squirm out of its grip, but it just tightened when she tried to.

The Skrill roared viciously and emanated an enormous amount of lightning around its body, expect on the leg that had the little human pinned down. He jabbed his head in every direction, warding off the threat that was around him and Thora.

"My Skrill!" Dagur seemed to smile. "You've returned!"

Dagur then began to approach the dragon. The Skrill scowled viciously when he saw the Viking who had imprisoned him and shot out a stream of white fire directly at him. Dagur quickly ducked and just barely managed to avoid the attack.

The dragon then whipped its tail around and accidently knocked Alvin into the ocean. When the Skrill saw movement in the water, his protective instincts kicked in even more and he shot out more lightning from its mouth.

Thora gasped in horror when she saw Alvin go under the water just as the lightning hit the surface. For a brief moment, the water erupted with white, static light. When the attacked diminished, all that surfaced from below was a small school of dead fish.

The Skrill roared again at the surrounding threat as the Vikings moved cautiously forward, their spears and swords all pointing at the dragon. The Skrill suddenly tightened his grip on Thora and then took off to the sky.

Thora let out a small scream as the ground quickly grew farther and farther away. She gripped the talons of the dragon as it whisked her away from the crowd of Vikings and around the island. The wind violently whipped all around them as the dragon picked up speed.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Thora shrieked. "HEY! PUT ME DOWN!"

But the dragon didn't let go of Thora until they got a to a rocky plain on the opposite side of the island. The dragon carefully lowered himself to the ground, dropped Thora onto the rocky surface, hovered around her for a moment, and then gracefully landed in front of the Berserker shield-maiden.

Thora shook her head for a moment before quickly getting to her feet and turning to look up at the Skrill. She stared in awe as the dragon looked at her with a strong yet surprisingly gentle face. It was quite a different look than what she had usually seen of him. For a moment, the human and dragon gazed at each other with both curiosity and amazement.

Thora then hesitantly and cautiously raised her right hand toward the dragon. The Skrill slowly lowered his head and placed his nose into her hand, closing his eyes as he did.

Thora's eyes widened in surprise and her pulse began to race again, this time with excitement. She couldn't believe it. The Skrill _willingly_ let her touch him. That was the most amazing thing she had ever experienced in her life.

She gently stroked the dragon's scales with her fingers. They were as smooth as metal with a slight, tingly feeling to them.

"Whoa." Thora whispered.

The Skrill opened its eyes and looked at Thora again. She moved forward slightly and cupped the dragon's head with both hands. The Skrill purred as she did so, his eyes looking at her with absolute trust.

"Hey again." Thora smiled softly. "Didn't think you'd come back. But man, am I glad that you did."

"Thora!"

Thora turned around at the sound of her name and saw Hiccup and Toothless flying towards her and the Skrill.

The Skrill's eyes narrowed and he started to growl viciously, preparing for an attack.

"Whoa, easy boy." Thora quickly said, gently rubbing his head. "I know you guys got off on the wrong foot the other day, but Hiccup's a friend. Trust me."

Hiccup and Toothless landed just as the Skrill lowered itself, still looking at them with suspicion.

"Thora, are you okay?" Hiccup asked, concerned. "We saw you and Dagur fighting and the Skrill take off with you in its clutches."

"Don't worry, Hiccup." Thora replied. "I'm fine."

"Wait…"

Hiccup suddenly noticed that the Skrill was behaving differently. He wasn't snarling or roaring like he usually did. He was also letting Thora touch him, and he seemed to be calm about it.

"Thora…the Skrill…did you…"

"I guess so." Thora shrugged.

"But…how?!" Hiccup looked up in surprise.

"I don't really know." Thora smiled modestly, scratching the Skrill's head. "I guess I just appealed to his better nature."

Hiccup gave a small, impressed grin. "Well, I'll be, Thora. Looks like you got your wish."

"I guess so," the Berserker shrugged again.

Toothless seemed to be just as impressed as Hiccup was. He cocked his head and gave a smile that only dragons could do.

"So, what are you going to name him?" Hiccup asked.

"Hmm," Thora thought for a moment, "I think maybe just…Strike!"

Upon hearing that name, the Skrill hummed and nudged the girl he had just rescued.

"I think he likes it." Hiccup smiled.

Thora laughed and stroked her dragon's head. "Okay, Strike it is then!"

Suddenly, another voice interrupted the conversation.

"Hey, Hiccup!"

The group looked up and saw the twins on their dragon coming in for a landing.

"Tuff, what is it?" Hiccup asked, concerned.

"You're not going to believe it!" Tuffnut replied. "Now that Alvin has kicked the bucket, Dagur has taken over the Outcast tribe as well!"

"What?!" Thora exclaimed.

"He said that they would get Berk back if they joined him." Ruffnut said. "Plus, he can be very persuasive with that axe of his."

"Yeah, and both fleets are getting ready to head out and attack Berk." Tuffnut concluded.

"Oh, this bad." Hiccup groaned. "We gotta come up with a new plan."

Thora looked down at the ground for a moment and then back at her dragon. Strike looked up at her with concerned eyes, as if he understood the situation. Thora then looked over at the dragon's back and her eyes narrowed a little.

And then a smirk grew across her face.

"Hiccup," Thora said with a strong voice, "I can help you this time. But I need you and the twins to do me a favor."

"What kind of favor?" the Berkian boy asked.

"Keep an eye on Dagur for me." Thora replied. "There's something I need to get. I'll join up with you as soon as I can."

Hiccup nodded and then ordered the twins to follow him. As the dragon riders flew off, Thora and Strike quickly and carefully made their way back to the Outcast stronghold.

* * *

><p>Thora opened the door to the room that was reserved for her when she and her tribe arrived to Outcast Island. Since many of the Outcasts and Berserkers were down at the dock preparing for the raid on Berk, she had little to no trouble sneaking into the barracks where she and the other Berserkers slept. Since she was the only female in the group, she had a room all to herself, which suited her just fine.<p>

Thora immediately ran over to an old chest at the end of the bed and opened it. She always had this chest with her, and always took it with her whenever the Berserkers would go on a sail expedition.

For what was inside it was a precious memento of her father. Not to mention, something would be of use to her now.

"Okay, father," she whispered, "let's see if your inventions work."

* * *

><p>Hiccup, Ruffnut and Tuffnut hid behind one of the sea stacks as Hiccup tried to formulate a plan of how to stop the fleet of Outcasts and Berserkers.<p>

"Okay," he exhaled deeply, "we have to approach this carefully."

"Let's go in and blast those ships!" Tuffnut suggested with excitement.

"We can't take on an armada that size!" Hiccup said forcefully. "There's too many of them!"

At that moment, a voice came from behind.

"Then how about we even the odds."

Everyone turned their heads to see Thora and Strike flying towards them, Thora riding on Strike's back.

Thora was now wearing something that seemed to be a jacket with gloves, leggings and boats that were covered with scale-like chainmail. On the jacket, and over her head, was a hood that was also covered with chainmail. The only thing that could be seen under that suit was her face. The hood concealed the rest of her head.

"What kind of get-up is that?" Tuffnut asked when he saw the metal outfit.

"An invention my father made that helps against lightning." Thora answered.

"But it's made completely out of metal." Ruffnut pointed out. "I thought lightning was attracted to metal."

"I'll explain it all later." Thora said. "Right now we need to focus on stopping the armada."

"And how do you suggest we do that?" Ruffnut groaned.

Thora turned to Hiccup.

"Hiccup," she said, "do you remember what happened when Strike and Toothless' shots combined yesterday?"

The young boy thought for a moment. His eyes widened slightly when he remembered that fight yesterday.

"Yeah," he finally said. "You think we can use that to our advantage?"

"The Skrill and the Night Fury are known to be rivals." Thora smirked. "Now let's see what happens when they team up."

"Okay, I'm up for it." Hiccup nodded. "How about you, bud?"

Hiccup looked at Toothless, how replied with a grunt and a sharp nod.

"You willing to cooperate, Strike?" Thora addressed her dragon.

Strike looked at his new rider and gave a sharp nod.

"Hey!" Ruffnut spoke, sounding slightly annoyed. "What about us?!"

"You guys force the soldiers off of the ships." Thora said. "We just want to take out the fleet and cause as little harm to the people as much as possible."

"Aw, where's the fun in that?" Tuffnut groaned.

Thora glared at the Berkian.

"Guys, just do what she said." Hiccup defended.

"But first," Thora glared at the fleet, "there's something I need to do. You guys just wait for the signal."

"What signal?" Tuffnut said.

"Listen for "There, I said it"." Thora replied.

With that, she and Strike immediately flew off down toward the docks, leaving the others confused as to what she meant, or what she was planning to do.

Thora arrived just in time to see Dagur and Savage get onboard the lead ship and ordered the fleet to move out. She then stopped Strike and he hovered right in front of the armada.

"DAGUR!" she shouted angrily.

At the sound of his name, Thora's brother looked up in both surprise and hatred. His fury began to boil even more when he saw that she was decked out in their father's crazy armor AND riding on the Skrill.

"Thora!" he snarled.

"This is as far as you go, Dagur!" Thora declared. "I have Strike now, and we're going stop you from destroying Berk!"

"You can't stop me, sister!" Dagur rebuked. "I will take Berk and that Night Fury!"

"We WILL stop you!" Thora scowled hard. "I won't let you hurt my friends anymore! I'm done listening to you and following your stupid orders! Which means I'm done with hiding THAT secret!"

Dagur's eyes widened in horror for a moment and then narrowed into a fearful scowl.

"Thora, don't you dare!" he threatened.

Thora ignored her brother and looked up at the rest of the fleet. But efore she could speak, Dagur reached for his crossbow and aimed it at the Dragon Rider. Strike saw his action and shot a stream of white fire at it. The lightning hit the crossbow, knocking it out of Dagur's hands and into the water. Dagur stumbled back with surprise as the attack sent a small electrical jolt down his arms.

"Berserkers!" Thora forcefully addressed. "The story Dagur told you of Osvald's death is a lie! He wasn't assassinated by a dragon!"

"THORA…!" Dagur's voice was both angry and desperate.

Thora raised her voice even louder and shouted at the top of her lungs so everyone could hear her:

"DAGUR USURPED HIM! HE USURPED OSVALD!"

There was a simultaneous gasp of shock from the crowd, both from the Berserkers and Outcasts. Hiccup and the twins also stared in disbelief at the news.

Osvald was killed by his own son?! Unbelievable, even for Dagur!

All of the Berserkers looked at each other with shock and discomfort. It was only now that they realized just who they had been following this whole time, and they were deeply ashamed.

Enraged and knowing he was caught, Dagur fixed a poisonous scowl at the new Dragon Rider, as if he wanted his glare to kill her on the spot. Thora returned the gaze with a confident glare.

"There, I said it!" she growled.

At the sound of the signal, Hiccup and the twins quickly emerged from their hiding place and flew down toward the fleet.

"Now!" Hiccup ordered.

The twins and their dragon were the first to attack. They released a huge amount of gas at the front of the armada and ignited it. The ships in the front a caught fire, making the Vikings bail out and swim away.

"Ruff, Tuff, keep that up as much as you can!" Thora commanded. "Hiccup, you ready?!"

"Just waiting on you!" Hiccup nodded.

"Okay!"

On simultaneous commands, Toothless and Strike let off their shots. Their attacks combined together and created that big ball of electrical energy of blue, purple, and white. The sphere grew larger and knocked the ships away, causing them to collide with each other as well as enormous waves that washed the other ships away or caused them to capsize.

"It's working!" Thora cried with delight. "Fire, Strike!"

"Go, Toothless!" Hiccup said to his dragon.

After three more attacks, the Dragon Riders had succeeded in taking out the armada. Thora looked over onto the shore and was also relieved to see most of the Berserkers were unharmed. Dripping wet and winded, but none were suffering serious injuries.

The moment they took out the armada, all four riders and their dragons flew off toward the horizon, feeling very victorious.

Dagur, too angered to even speak, viciously stared at the riders as they disappeared into the clouds. He clenched his fists, silently vowing that he would have revenge on Thora for exposing his crime.

After he helped the other Berserkers back onto shore, Vorg looked back to where Thora flew off and gave a small, brief grin. She had finally found the strength that he and her father always knew she had.

He knew it was only a matter of time until she was ready to learn the truth.

* * *

><p>"That was awesome!" Tuffnut shouted. "That was like the biggest explosion I have ever seen!"<p>

"I know!" Ruffnut grinned. "We should take out Berserker and Outcast fleets more often!"

"Are they always like this?" Thora smirked.

"Pretty much." Hiccup shrugged. "So, what are you going to do now, Thora?"

"Well, I can't go back now even if I wanted to." Thora dropped her shoulders. "Dagur will just see me as a traitor. And he's not going to forgive me for revealing what he did. But I've got Strike, now. We can probably get by with just going from island to island."

"I think I have a better idea." Hiccup said. "How about you come back to Berk with us?"

Thora blinked in surprise at the invitation.

"There's always room for one more." Hiccup continued. "Plus, I did say I'd help you train your dragon if you ever got one, didn't I?"

"I guess you did." Thora smiled slightly. "Okay, and I'm sure I can be of use back on Berk. What do you say, Strike?"

The Skrill looked back at his rider and gave a small, sharp nod.

"That's a "yes"," the Berserker replied, her smile a little bigger than before.

"Okay then." Hiccup turned toward the twins. "Guys, let's go home."

"Thought you'd never ask." Ruffnut smirked.

"I am going to miss some of those Outcasts guys." Tuffnut admitted. "They can really carry a tune."

"I know, right?" his sister agreed.

"Well, I won't miss Dagur, that's for sure." Thora said softly.

With that, the triumphant heroes flew back to Berk.

As they soared through the sky, Thora glanced back toward the horizon for a moment, suddenly realizing that she was finally free from Dagur. She was now on her way to a new home with some old and new friends. Although she was leaving an old life behind, and parts of it she was going to miss a little bit, she didn't feel like grieving about it too much. It was as if a weight had been lifted from her soul and the bindings that forced her down had broken, allowing her soul to fly high into the skies.

It was such a wonderful feeling. She was free. She was finally free.


	9. Bonus Chapter: Let it Go

**Dragons: Thora's Story**

**Bonus Chapter**

**Let it Go**

**I watched Frozen recently, and I couldn't help but see how the song "Let it Go" had some parallels with my HTTYD fan character, Thora, and her story. So I thought of how the song could relate to her. Some of the wording is different, but it still fits with the song. It would take place after the "A View to a Skrill" story.**

**Bear in mind, that this doesn't actually take place in the story; it's just a small bonus I thought up. Think of it as a music video of sorts. Another thing, the song half is written as if it was a stage production. At least I hope it's written like one as well I as I could make it. I would recommend listening to the song while reading this as well.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own "Let it Go", "How to Train Your Dragon", or "Rider/Defenders of Berk"; I am merely exploring an alternate story.**

* * *

><p>The clouds concealed the light of the moon and stars, yet the sky was lit up the flashes of jagged streams of light all around. The air was dense with a static sensation as thunder crackled and lightning flashed across the horizon.<p>

Among the commotion, a Skrill with a rider on its back glided through the sky and landed on a nearby island.

Thora slipped off of Strike's back, took her hood off, and patted the side of her dragon. The Skrill responded with a small purr, causing lightning to crackle and spark along his body. The static didn't bother Thora one bit thanks to her father's specially made jacket. The metal chainmail covering attracted the lightning away from the girl and the dragon absorbed it again.

"Well, Strike," Thora sighed, stroking the Skrill's head, "looks like it's just you and me now."

* * *

><p>(Music from "Let it Go" starts as the two friends walk across the beach. Thora looks around and starts to sing.)<p>

_"The sand glows white on the shoreline tonight,_

_Not a footprint to be seen._

_An island of isolation,_

_And it looks like I'm the queen._

_The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside._

_Couldn't keep it in_

_Valhalla knows I tried."_

(Thora picks up her walking pace.)

_"Don't let them in,_

_Don't let them see,_

_Be the good girl you always have to be._

_Conceal,_

_Don't feel,_

_Don't let them know!_

_Well, now they know!"_

(Strike takes off and circles gracefully around in the sky. Lightning strikes all around him in time with the music.)

_"Let it go. Let it go._

_Can't hold it back anymore._

_Let it go. Let it go._

_Turn away and slam the door._

_I don't care what he's going to say._

_Let the storm rage on._

_The lightning never bothered me anyway."_

(Thora walks a little further into the island.)

_"It's funny how some distance_

_Makes everything seem small."_

(Thora looks across the sea.)

_"And the fears that once controlled me_

_Can't get to me at all!"_

(Thora turns around and runs up the hill. She stops at the top.)

_"It's time to see what I can do."_

(Strike swoops down overhead, lands, and lowers himself for Thora to mount onto him.)

_"To test the limits and break through."_

(Thora runs up and mounts onto Strike.)

_"No right,_

_No wrong,_

_No rules for me._

(Strike stands up and the two prepare to take off and Thora pulls her hood over her head.)

_"I'm free!"_

(Strike takes off into the sky.)

_"Let it go! Let it go!_

_I am one with the wind and sky!_

_Let it go! Let it go!_

_You'll never see me cry!"_

(Lightning begins to strike the Skrill in time with the music.)

_"Here I stand_

_And here I'll stay!_

_Let the storm rage on!"_

(Thora and Strike begin to fly higher and spin around in the sky, lightning striking them from everywhere.)

_"This power flurries through the air into the ground._

_My soul is spiraling in blazing white fire all around._

_And one thought crystalizes like a lightning blast."_

(Thora looks behind her.)

_"I'm never going back._

_The past is in the past!"_

(Thora throws her hood off and lets her braided hair flow freely.)

_"Let it go! Let it go!_

_And I'll rise like the break of dawn."_

(The sun starts to rise.)

_"Let it go! Let it go!_

_That quiet girl is gone!"_

(Strike lands on the outcrop of a small island and Thora stretches her arms out in a victorious way.)

_"Here I stand_

_In the light of day!"_

(Thora draws her sword.)

_"Let the storm rage on!"_

(Thora holds her sword up in the air, Strike lets out a roar, and lightning flashes all around them. Thora then lowers her sword and grins.)

_"The lightning never bothered me anyway!"_

(Thora puts her sword away and the two fly off into the sky.)


	10. Chapter 9: The Flight Stuff Part 1

**The Flight Stuff Part 1**

After the group had returned to Berk, Thora and her dragon, Strike, were welcomed into the community under the condition that she would keep a sharp eye on the Skrill. After the incident they had with Strike the day before, it was understandable why they would be wary about his unpredictable behavior.

Thora agreed to the terms as long as she didn't have to lock Strike up in a cage again. Fortunately, while Strike certainly had a mind of his own, he seemed to understand the weight of the situation and stayed with Thora as much as he could.

When Hiccup told Stoick what Dagur did to Osvald, the Berk Chief was both shocked and angered. Even he had never expected Dagur to commit such treachery, and against his own tribe, too. It was unforgivable!

Despite that, Stoick welcomed Thora to Berk, offering both his respectful hospitality as well as his condolences with the utmost sincerity.

As a week went by, the Berserker rogue experienced many things she couldn't quite describe. On Berk, while she still received suspicious glances from folks, mostly because Strike always walked beside her, many Berkians greeted her with courtesy. Seeing this kind of community warmed her soul, reminding her of how things used to be when her father, Osvald, was alive.

Unlike Dagur, Osvald cared for his people more than he cared about himself. He would always ask them how their day was going, he knew all of them by name, never forced them to fight unless absolutely necessary, and almost always knew how to settle an argument without violence.

Very much the opposite of how her brother managed things. All Dagur cared about was slaughtering dragons, violence, and doing anything to get what he wanted.

But that didn't matter to Thora anymore. She was out of Dagur's grasp and he couldn't reach her at all.

Berk was her new home now, and she was beginning to love it.

On the third day after the fight with the Berserkers and Outcasts, Hiccup and Astrid began training Thora and Strike, starting with teaching them how to use hand signals. Fortunately, Hiccup and Astrid soon found that both Thora and Strike were fast learners and picked up on the techniques quickly. Eventually, the lessons moved onto learning how to maneuver in the sky in tricky situations. Once Thora and Strike had mastered the aerial techniques, they began to work on establishing Thora's Dragon Call.

For a while though, Toothless and Strike would have small roaring fights, which were always eventually broken up by their riders. Thora figured that they still haven't worked out their differences, especially after that little chase the other day. However, as the days went on, the dragons' quarrels grew less and less frequent. While they still didn't trust each other completely, they at least seemed to have gained a respect for each other.

As for Thora's relationship with Strike, the bond between them began to grow with each passing day. Wherever the girl when, the Skrill would followed her. Even when Thora was doing some of the most mundane things, like standing on the edge of the village and staring out at the sea, Strike would stand by her side.

Sometimes he would give her a small shock of static, but only to get a reaction out of her or see the hair at the end of her ponytail stand up on end. While it did irritate Thora to a degree, she could tell that he was just doing it for fun. If nothing else, the small shock always kept her on her toes.

However, nothing compared to their favorite activity: flying at night during a lightning storm.

On the sixth day, a huge storm lit up the sky for miles around, making Strike eager to ride the lightning bolts again. Seeing the streaks of white fire flash across the heavens made Thora feel strangely confident and daring. She was ready to break the limits and do what no other Viking had done before.

Together, the rider and dragon soared through the sky with tremendous grace and strength, making the lightning bolts dance all around them. From the view of Berk, it was certainly a sight to behold. Nearly every Viking was watching from their opened doors or windows as Thora and Strike soared through the wind and ride the lightning bolts.

"I think I'm starting to see why she's a Berserker." Hiccup shrugged as he watched the Skrill soar through the storm from inside his house.

"It's because she's "berserk" enough to dare the impossible." Astrid smirked, secretly impressed by the scene before her.

For Thora, flying among the thundering clouds was an exhilarating sensation. The energy from the clouds wrapped all around her and gave her a sense of power she had never felt before. This was only something she and Strike could do, and they cherished every moment of it.

Thora and Strike were free.

On the eighth day, Hiccup opened up the Dragon Training Academy. Before they began class, he asked Thora if she could talk about what she knew about Skrills He asked her this because he figured that knowledge could help them against Dagur in the future. Although she was a little nervous about speaking in front of people, Thora agreed.

Pretty soon, the Berserker rogue found herself and Strike standing up in front of the other Dragon Riders.

"Wait, where's Snotlout?" Hiccup asked in a slightly irritated voice.

The other riders looked at each other and shrugged. Although being late wasn't past Snotlout's usual behavior, it was unusual for him to be this late.

"Oh, never mind." Hiccup shook his head. "We'll just start without him."

"So, what are we talking about today?" Tuffnut asked.

"Well," Hiccup cleared his throat, "as you all know, our newest member, Thora, has a Skrill as her dragon. Today, she has volunteered to give us some advice in the regards to a Skrill. So, Thora, the floor is all yours."

Taking a deep breath, the young shield-maiden stepped forward and swallowed hard, finding her voice.

"Okay," she said, "first of all; I want to thank you all for letting me into the Academy. And I promise that Strike and I will help out in any way that we can. Now, onto discussing the Skrill, what do you want to know?"

Immediately, Fishleg's raised his hand. Thora saw his action and pointed to him.

"Um, about your outfit," the studious Viking said, "why is it covered with chainmail? Isn't that dangerous to have on when riding a Skrill?"

"Normally, yes." Thora nodded. "However, my father was very interested in these dragons and studied them as much as he could when he got the chance. One of the things he did was an experiment to see what materials attracted lightning and which ones didn't. After a few experiments, he finally invented this suit. The chainmail attracts the lightning away from the person wearing it. Observe."

Thora put her hood up, looked over at the Skrill, and gave a hand signal.

"Strike, flare up!" she commanded.

The dragon obeyed the command and static ignited all over its body. Thora reached out her hand and one strand of lighting lashed out and began to jump around the metal on the girl's hand and arm. She was quite pleased when she saw the reaction she got from the crowd was one of amazement.

"Good boy, Strike," she smiled, giving him signal to stop.

The Skrill then immediately settled down and lowered himself the ground. Thora then walked over and unstrapped his saddle. She then flipped it over to reveal a slab of metal on the bottom.

"It's also best if you have a specially made saddle like this one," the Berserker explained. "The lightning is attracted to the metal plating. And underneath it is a special material that doesn't attract lightning, giving a little more security when riding a dragon like this."

"Interesting." Astrid said. "But that's quite an arsenal for wanting to ride a single dragon."

"Well, Hiccup has a special saddle for Toothless because of their handicaps, so what's your point?" Thora smirked before looking over at Hiccup. "No offense, Hiccup."

"None taken." the Berkian boy simply shrugged.

Astrid smirked and shook her head slightly.

"Besides," Thora continued, "I can't tell Strike not to flare up when I'm riding him. It's his best weapon and unique ability. It would be trying to tell someone to stop breathing."

"Hey, I've got a question." Ruffnut raised her hand.

"Okay, what is it?" Thora asked.

"Does Strike really have a nasty attitude?" the Berkian twin grinned. "Because it would be awesome to see him in total rage!"

"Yeah!" Tuffnut enthusiastically replied. "That would be totally amazing!"

The Berserker girl let out a groan and walked over to her dragon.

"Look, it is true that Skrills are aggressive," she said as she scratched behind Strike's head, who hummed contentedly. "And for a while, it was doubted that they could even be trained at all. However, if you give them respect and show them you're not a threat, then they can be quite calm and loyal."

"That kind of sounds like how one would train a Night Fury." Fishlegs pointed out, glancing at Toothless.

"I guess so," the redheaded girl shrugged. "Then again, I do believe the Skrill and Night Fury are both part of the Strike Class. So that could explain why they have a lot in common."

Thora then fixed a glare on the twins, who stepped back slightly.

"AND if you two trouble-makers even TRY to get Strike angry," her voice bordered on threatening, "then you can expect an unpleasant visit from ME if he doesn't kill you first! Do I make myself clear?!"

"Crystal clear, ma'am." Tuffnut replied, seeing that this girl wasn't joking around.

"Good." Thora nodded sharply. "Now, I'd like to move onto the subject of Dagur. After losing Strike AND having his crime exposed to the whole tribe, I'm willing to bet that he's going to be more determined than ever to take out Berk. Fortunately, I have a pretty good idea of how he thinks. First off, while he is deranged and unpredictable, he does come up with some pretty good strategies. However, his plans usually have at least one flaw in them."

"And how can we identify that flaw?" Hiccup asked.

"It's either so obvious it's overlooked," the Berserker rogue explained, "or a small but crucial detail he himself has overlooked because he's arrogant and impatient. His biggest flaw is focusing on one thing. When he was here for the Treaty signing, his main goal was to expose Berk for training dragons. Now, I bet he wants to get vengeance as well as Toothless and possibly Strike as well. However, we can use that to our advantage if we…"

Thora never finished her sentence because at that moment, Snotlout came bursting into the Academy with Hookfang and a young boy named Gustav following. The expression on the buff Viking's face was one of sheer panic.

"I'm going to kick the bucket!" he shouted.

The other riders groaned.

"Snotlout, do you mind?" Hiccup asked, irritated. "We're having a Dagur meeting."

"Dagur's here?" Tuffnut said with a slight hint of fear.

"Over the past week," Snotlout continued, "I've seen three of the five signposts to Valhalla!"

"WE KNOW!" the other riders groaned.

"You know?" the buff Viking looked as if they were offended. "And you're just standing there talking about stupid Dagur? One of your bravest and most treasured warriors is about to leave this world forever!"

"Look on the bright side," Tuffnut shrugged, "at least you'll be eternal paradise."

"So will we." Astrid sarcastically rolled her eyes.

"Joke all you want about me." Snotlout replied almost sadly. "But what about Hookfang? The thought of him without me for the rest of his life, it's just…"

"Are you done?" Thora glared.

"No," Snotlout said, "not even close. Though devastated and still in pre-mourning, Gustav has volunteered to carry on the Snotlout legacy."

"It's an honor," the little boy eagerly said.

"Please tell me he's not gonna to flying around saying "oy, oy, oy". Astrid groaned.

"That's a good idea." Snotlout said optimistically. "Gustav, make a note of that."

"Snotlout," Hiccup stepped forward, "the five signposts to Valhalla is nothing but an old wives' tale."

"Oh, yeah?" the buff Viking sneered. "Then why have I seen the flying fish, the weeping rocks, and the singing trees?"

"You probably saw a salmon spawning," Fishlegs dully said, "wet rocks on the beach, and a gust of wind."

"Besides," Thora folded her arms across her chest, "the five signposts to Valhalla are only suppose to happen to great warriors."

"Obviously," Snotlout grinned smugly, "what's your point?"

"Even if it were true, which it is not," Hiccup interjected, "you can't just pick someone to replace you."

"Well, you guys threw out my original plan."

"To bury Hookfang alive beside you?" Astrid pointed out.

"He would gladly sacrifice himself for his beloved master." Snotlout walked up to the Monstrous Nightmare.

Hookfang just glared at his rider, got up, and harshly flicked the Viking away with his tail. Snotlout practically flew across the arena and landed on his face.

"Okay," Hiccup sighed in frustration, "let's just say, for arguments sake, you've seen three of the five sign posts. It doesn't mean anything. There are still two left."

The moment Hiccup finished his sentence, something brown and feathery dropped down right in front of Snotlout. The said Viking looked up and screamed in terror and scrambled to his feet.

"Oh, no! Oh, no! The fourth signpost: the bird of death!"

"It's not the bird of death," Thora got down and examined the chicken, "it's just a dead chicken. It's not the same thing, right guys?"

"Sure it is." Ruffnut and Tuffnut replied simultaneously. "Defiantly. Bird of death."

Thora groaned and rolled her eyes. The twins were definitely NOT a big help.

"We're on the clock, little man." Snotlout knocked on Gustav's helmet. "We're starting your training immediately."

"Ugh, fine." Hiccup groaned as he mounted onto Toothless. "The rest of us need to keep an eye on Outcast Island. While we're gone, try not to take anyone else with you to "eternal paradise"."

"I make no promises," the buff Viking replied.

Thora nervously looked at the other riders mounting onto their dragons and then back at Strike. She wrung her hands together and shuffled her feet.

"Uh, Hiccup," she said timidly, "would it be alright if Strike and I stay here? We could help hold down the fort."

"You sure?" Hiccup asked. "We could really use your help."

Thora hesitated for a moment before saying, "I…just want to make sure Snotlout doesn't cause any trouble."

"Hey!" Snotlout snapped.

Hiccup looked at Thora with confusion for a moment. The girl mustered as much self-control as she could to keep her face natural. She didn't want Hiccup to even suspect her true motives.

"Okay," Hiccup finally nodded, "you can stay here and hold down the fort."

Thora lightly exhaled in relief. "Thanks. You guys just be careful, okay?"

With that said, the other Dragon Riders headed out for Outcast Island. Shortly after they left, Thora and Strike left the arena and walked out to a small cliff overlooking the sea. The Berserker rogue let out a small sigh and stared out at the horizon. After a while, the Skrill nudged her shoulder, getting her attention. Thora turned her head and looked at Strike. The dragon was looking back at her with a worried and confused expression in his eyes.

He didn't have to speak her language for her to know what he was thinking.

Why didn't she want to go with the other Dragon Riders?

"I'm sorry, Strike." Thora said in a low voice, stroking his head. "I know you wanted to go. But…I can't go back. And I don't want to risk your life, too. You saw what Dagur was capable of doing, and you just got a taste of it. I've had to LIVE with it for sixteen years. I don't want anyone to suffer that as well, especially you or my friends. I've made my mind up about this: the past is in the past."

Strike stared at his rider.

Thora then looked out over the ocean again and narrowed her eyes into a small scowl. "And I am NEVER going back!"


	11. Chapter 10: The Flight Stuff Part 2

**The Flight Stuff Part 2**

After Hiccup and the other Dragon Riders returned form Outcast Island with a report of Dagur's men building something, Thora and Strike decided to go for a stroll around the village. As much fun as it was to watch Snotlout epically fail at trying to show Gustav how to handle a dragon like Hookfang, the Berserker rogue just wanted to be alone with the Skrill for a while. She wasn't exactly in the mood for watching violence, even if it was comical and not brutal.

After a while, the pair of them stopped at the edge of an outcrop that overlooked the sea. Thora frowned and let out a deep sigh. Strike noticed her depressed behavior and gently nudged her shoulder. The girl looked over to her dragon and saw that he was looking at her with an ambiguous expression. He seemed to be worried about her, but it was also mixed with a bit of annoyance.

"Sorry, Strike," she mumbled. "I just…I don't know."

"Thora?"

The Berserker turned her head to look over her shoulder and saw the person who called out her name.

"Stoick," she said.

The chief of Berk walked up to Thora, patting Strike on the snout when the Skrill greeted him.

"Is everything alright?" Stoick asked.

"I guess so." Thora shrugged.

"Hmph," Stoick raised an eyebrow, "that's exactly what Hiccup says when something is wrong and he's trying to deny it."

"Well, I'm not Hiccup, am I?" Thora replied with a small glare.

"Of course your not." Stoick nodded. "But something is troubling you, right?"

"Heh, you always get right to the point, don't you?"

"Listen Thora," the chief of Berk said calmly, "I'm not your father, but as long as you're staying on Berk you are under my protection. I only want to help."

"I know." Thora said dismally, "It's just…what am I going to do about Dagur? He's done some pretty awful and unforgivable things, but…he's still my brother. I don't think my dad would have want me to do anything horrible to him. And honestly, I don't think I can bring myself to do it either. But at the same time, I wish I could do what's best for both Berk and the Berserkers."

"I see," Stoick said in a low voice. "Torn between duties and family. I've been there more than once myself."

"What am I suppose to do?" Thora asked as she stroked Strike's face. "I hoped I could run away from Dagur, but I also know I can't run from him forever. I know it's only a matter of time before I face him again. But I don't know what father would have wanted me to do. I guess he would have said that I should try to get along with my brother."

"Now, that's where I think you're wrong," the Berkian Chief gripped the Berserker shield-maiden's shoulder. "I knew your father, too. While he wanted to avoid needless violence as much as possible, he wouldn't want you to take the abuse of Dagur. If anything he'd say your brother is crazy and he needs to be put in his place."

"And I'm the one who's supposed to do it." Thora groaned.

"That's your decision." Stoick replied. "And whatever you decide, I guess all I can say is that I hope you'll be happy in the end."

With that, Stoick gave Thora one last firm pat on the shoulder before turning around and walking back toward the village.

Thora glanced down at the grass for a moment before looking back over the rolling waves of the ocean again. She began to deeply contemplate what Stoick had just said to her. She knew that she would have to face Dagur again, but what could she do? He was more skilled with a blade than she was. Sure, she managed to beat him, but that was only once. And the last few times, she wasn't so lucky. And if she did face him again, one mistake could be her last.

"How can I face him again?" she voiced the question out loud.

At the same moment, she felt a small shock on her cheek. She jumped with surprise and whipped around to Strike, who moaned with concern. Thora gave a gentle smile and hugged the dragon's face. The Skrill returned the gesture with a small nuzzle to his rider's chest.

"Well," Thora grinned, "at least I've got you, Strike. Thanks. C'mon, let's go get some supper."

* * *

><p>Later that night, Thora settled down to sleep just as Hiccup came up the stairs to check on her. Ever since she and Strike came to Berk, the two of them had stayed at the chief's house. Out of curtsy, Hiccup gave Thora his bedroom to sleep in while he and Toothless slept downstairs. Although Strike preferred to sleep outside, he did remain close enough to the house so that if Thora needed him, he would be able to reach her in time.<p>

"Everything okay, Thora?" Hiccup asked. "We didn't see you since this morning. Everyone one was getting worried."

"It's fine." Thora replied. "I just needed some alone time. How did things go at the academy today?"

"Oh, the usual." Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Just watched Snotlout try to train Gustav, seeing the so-called fifth signpost to Valhalla trample Snotlout, and trying to figure out how to get a good look at what Dagur's building."

"Hiccup," Thora frowned, "I'm sorry that Dagur's causing you guys so much trouble."

"Why? You're not responsible for his actions."

"No, I guess not, but still…"

"It's okay, Thora." Hiccup smiled casually, trying to be optimistic. "We'll find a way to stop Dagur."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Thora gave a weak smile. "Thanks, Hiccup."

"No problem," the boy nodded. "Now, is there anything I can get you? Some warm yak milk, or fish stew?"

"No, it's okay." Thora shook her head. "I just want to get some sleep."

"Okay. Well, goodnight."

"Goodnight."

With that, Hiccup turned around and walked back down the stairs. Thora laid down on the bed, blew out the candle on the nightstand, pulled the covers over herself, and fell asleep almost instantly.

* * *

><p>The next day, Thora and Strike just took leisurely flights to the neighboring islands. Even though they knew that the others would be discussing about how to get a better look at what Dagur was building back on Outcast Island, the Berserker shield-maiden didn't really want to stick around. She didn't want to even hear her brother's name for the rest of the day. Besides, the other riders seemed to have everything under control. They could get by just fine without Thora and Strike's help on this one.<p>

At least that what Thora figured.

Strike, on the other hand, didn't seem to keen on this idea of avoiding trouble. The Skrill hated the idea of running away from a problem when he knew he could stand and fight against it. He could tell that Thora didn't want to engage in any needless combat, but he still didn't like it. His rider was capable of taking on that deranged man. He knew that. Why didn't she see it herself?

Nevertheless, Strike silently traveled through the sky with Thora on his back.

The duo arrived back to Berk just as the sun had set behind the western horizon. Hungry and tired, Thora and Strike made their way back to the chief's house. The Berserker rogue was a little surprised when she saw Stoick outside the house, looking out to the sea with a concerned expression, like he was waiting for something.

"Something wrong, Stoick?" Thora asked as she and Strike approached.

"Oh, Thora," the chief said, "I'm just waiting for Hiccup and the others to return with the news."

"What news?" the Berserker asked curiously.

"Oh, that's right, you weren't here this afternoon." Stoick rubbed his chin. "Trader Johann came into port today. When he was at Outcast Island, he overheard Dagur saying he was getting ready to test fire a new weapon."

"What?" Thora's voice spiked to worry when she heard that.

"Trader Johann said…"

"I heard what you said!" Thora forcefully interrupted. "Please don't tell Hiccup and the others have gone to investigate!"

Stoick looked at Thora and immediately noticed her expression. There was no doubt that it contained a great deal of fear. Her face had gone pale and she was very tense.

"Yes, they did." Stoick answered, even more concerned. "Why?"

"Dagur would NEVER leak out plans like this!" Thora exclaimed in a near-panicked voice. "It's a trap! I just know it! Oh, I should've been here this morning!"

The Berserker shield-maiden immediately turned around and mounted back onto the Skrill, who happily lowered himself down to allow her onto his back. He knew exactly what she wanted to do, and he liked the idea.

"Thora!" Stoick shouted. "Where are you going?!"

"To save my friends!"

That was the last thing Thora said before Strike flapped his powerful wings and shot off like an arrow in the direction of Outcast Island. Despite Stoick calling out for them to come back, Thora and Strike flew as quickly as the Skrill's wings could carry him.

"Oh, this is all my fault!" Thora winced, feeling extremely guilty. "If I was with the others today, they would've have known not to go! How could I be so selfish?! I should've seen this coming!"

Strike, overhearing his rider's dilemma and self-pity party, let out a forceful groan and looked back at the girl with a determined look in his eye. Thora immediately saw his reaction, which caused her to snap out of her emotional drama.

"You're right, Strike!" she nodded with conviction. "I'm done feeling sorry for myself! Dagur is NOT going to lay a hand on my friends! Not if you and I have something to say about it! And we do! C'mon, Strike! Show me how fast you can fly!"

As if to say 'with pleasure', the Skrill gave a confident nod and flapped his wings as hard as he could, giving tremendous amount of speed in the process. Thora lend forward a bit to make them a little more aerodynamic. Right now, they needed all the speed they could get.

Together, the rider and dragon raced off through the sky, hoping to reach their friends in time.


	12. Chapter 11: The Flight Stuff Part 3

**The Flight Stuff Part 3**

Hoping that she and her dragon made it to Outcast Island in time to save their friends, Thora clutched tightly at Strike's saddle so hard her knuckles turned white. The Skrill flapped his mighty wings and cut through the air like a torpedo.

In a matter of minutes, the horrible shadowy image of Outcast Island began to loom over the horizon before them. As the two of them got even closer, they began to hear the sounds of men shouting and fire being blasted. There was also the sound of something large and heavy being moved. It was mingled with the noise metal gears clanking together. They were immediately followed by clamors of stone balls attached to a net flying through the air.

At the same time, Thora saw a something approaching her from the island. Strike came to a halt and braced himself for whatever it was. His body sparked with small statics of lighting. This was an indication to Thora that he was getting ready to attack.

"Easy, Strike." Thora said as soothingly as she could under the circumstances. "Just wait a minute."

Strike looked over his shoulder to his rider and flared down just a bit.

It was actually a good thing that Thora told Strike to back down. Otherwise he would've attacked the approaching Dragon Rider that was heading straight for them. As the approaching dragon got closer, Thora could see that it was Stormfly, the Deadly Nadder. And Stormfly belonged to…

"Astrid!" Thora called out.

Upon hearing her name, Astrid turned her head around. A surprised expression came over her face when she saw Thora and Strike just a few yards away from her.

"Thora?!" the blonde Berkian shield-maiden exclaimed. "What are you doing here?!"

"Saving you guys!" Thora said, her voice sounding urgent. "Where're Hiccup and Snotlout?!"

"They're trying to get a look at what Dagur's building!" Astrid replied. "And do you mean by "saving us"?!"

"It's trap!" Thora shouted. "Dagur made up that story and purposely leaked the information to Johann to get you guys over here! He wants Hiccup and Toothless!"

"What?!" Astrid's eyes went wide with horror.

"Astrid, you fly back to Berk and tell Stoick what's happened!" Thora commanded. "I'll go and help the others!"

"But…!"

"Just go!" Thora shouted. "I promise I'll bring them back safe and sound!"

Astrid hesitated for a moment, looking back at Outcast Island with a look of worry on her face. Finally, she turned back to Thora and gave a sharp nod.

"C'mon, Stormfly!" Astrid commanded her dragon.

With that, Astrid and Stormfly flew off in the direction of Berk while Thora and Strike headed in the direction of Outcast Island.

"Oh, please, Thor!" Thora whispered. "PLEASE let me get there in time!"

Finally, Thora got to the center of the island, and what she saw sent a horrible, shrieking chill down her spine.

A large, wooden trebuchet that was manned by Dagur and several Outcasts unleashed a large net. Before Thora could call out a warning, the net sailed through the air and hit its target.

That target was none other than Hiccup and Toothless!

The rider and dragon became entangled in the launched net and fell to the ground! They landed on the hard earth with a painful "BOOM"!

"NO!" Thora screamed.

"Gotcha!" Dagur shouted in triumph.

The moment Hiccup and Toothless were tangled up in the trap on the ground; a group of Outcasts and Berserkers began to advance on them. Each solider were carrying double-headed spears. Dagur began to slowly walk up behind them, savoring his victory over the helpless Berkian and Night Fury, and anticipating the moment his sword would cut them both down.

But Thora wasn't going to let that happen.

"Strike, get us down there!" she commanded.

The Skrill gave an approving and fierce roar. He was waiting for his rider to say that.

In less than a second, he dove straight toward the ground. The moment Strike landed in front of the trapped rider and dragon, Thora leapt off of his back and drew her sword. She turned to face the oncoming force of Outcasts and Berserkers with a fierce expression.

The instant the Outcasts and Berserkers saw a ferocious Strike fly in from what seemed to be out of nowhere, they all stopped dead in their tracks. They all stepped backward cautiously as the Skrill snarled at them and Thora took a step forward.

"You all better back off if you know what's good for you!" Thora yelled.

"Thora?!" Hiccup shouted in surprise.

"Hiccup, are you and Toothless okay?!" Thora asked, still keeping an eye on the danger in front of her.

"We're fine!" Hiccup replied. "But what are you doing here?!"

"Saving your butts, what does it look like I'm doing?!"

It was then that Dagur pushed his way through the crowd of Berserkers and Outcasts. Thora took a step back and swallowed hard when she saw her brother. She could tell that he wasn't happy to see her either.

However, he was very pleased to see the dragon she had brought with her.

"Well, well, well," Dagur said savagely, "look who decided to show up. Thora the Rogue. And she's brought back my Skrill."

Strike growled threateningly and bared all his teeth, as if showing that he understood what Dagur had said. He didn't belong to this wicked man who had tortured and imprisoned him.

"Strike is not yours!" Thora shot back defensively, trying to conceal her nervousness. "He's my dragon, and I won't let you take him! And I won't let you hurt Hiccup or Toothless! If you want any of them, you have to go through me!"

"Is that so? Well, this should be easy then." Dagur sneered before turning back to his warriors. "Take them!"

The Outcasts and Berserkers hesitated for a second. However, they ultimately obeyed their chief and began to move in for an attack.

Strike gave a warning snarl at the approaching attackers. The dragon then attempted to flare up with lightning, but all that came from this effort was a light spark of static electricity. This was a sure sign that he was running low on electrical energy, which put him at a huge disadvantage. Without his lightning, he didn't have many other solid defenses.

Seeing that made Dagur grin wickedly. He knew that he had the upper hand this time.

Thora moved in closer to her dragon when she realized that they were horribly outnumbered and outmatched. She tried her hardest to be brave and stand her ground, but all of the confidence she had before vanished in a heartbeat.

What could she do? Strike was almost out of lightning, Hiccup and Toothless were down for the count, and Astrid was half way back to Berk by now.

They were on their own. And their time was running out.

However, just as the Dagur and his men were about to charge forward to attack, two voices shouted from above:

"FIRE IT UP!"

Everyone on the ground turned to look up and see two Monstrous Nightmare dragons flying their way. The largest one was Hookfang, and the smaller one was a Monstrous Nightmare that Thora didn't recognize. But at the moment, she didn't care. All she cared about was the fact that Snotlout was riding on Hookfang, and a smoke-stained Gustav was on the other dragon.

Both Monstrous Nightmares dove down and shot their liquid fire out of their mouths in the direction of Dagur and his men. This cut off their advance and forced them to retreat.

Seeing the chance arise, Thora sheathed her sword and leapt back onto Strike. The Skrill flapped his wings and lifted himself into the air. He then flew over Hiccup and Toothless, grabbing the net with his talons in the process, and pulling it off. Now that they were free, Hiccup and Toothless shot up into the sky. They then swooped back around to join Snotlout, Gustav, and Thora.

Flying in a straight line, the group of riders and dragons all took aim at the trebuchet. With Hiccup giving the command, the Monstrous Nightmares, Night Fury, and Skrill all fired at the same time. The streams of fire, plasma blasts, and lightning all merged together into one powerful attack that sent Dagur's weapon up in a blaze of flames like a enormous bomb.

With the weapon destroyed, the dragon riders turned around and flew away from Outcast Island as quickly as their dragons could carry them. They only looked back once when they heard the sound of someone screaming. None of them knew what caused that noise, and they were pretty sure then didn't want to know.

"Thanks, guys." Hiccup said with a sigh of relief. "Great timing, Thora."

"I'm just glad I made it in time." Thora grinned before turning to Snotlout and Gustav. "Nice shooting, you guys."

"By me." Snotlout said smugly. "His eyes were closed."

He pointed with his thumb at Gustav and his dragon.

"Hey, it was scary!" Gustav protested.

Hiccup, Snotlout, and Thora chuckled.

With that, the dragon riders all flew back to Berk. They were all tired, but also extremely grateful to be alive.

* * *

><p>The next day, Thora was sitting on her favorite place overlooking the sea with Strike resting beside her. The other dragon riders were busy dealing with Gustav and his new dragon, Fanghook, back at the Academy. Thora decided that it wasn't any of her business, so she and Strike flew out to their favorite spot on Berk so they could have a few precious moments alone.<p>

However, Thora couldn't stop thinking about what happened yesterday. Her friends could've gotten into big trouble, and she felt somewhat responsible for it. If she hadn't been so wrapped up in her own problems, she would've been with the other dragon riders when Stoick told them about the information from Trader Johann. She could've prevented them from going to Outcast Island in the first place. But instead, she was more focused on running away from her crazy brother because she was too afraid to face him again.

"No more," she suddenly said aloud with conviction. "I'm going to be there when they face Dagur again. I'll never hide again, no matter how scared I get."

Strike opened his eyes and looked at his rider, as if he knew all along what she was thinking.

"You were right, Strike." Thora turned to her dragon. "We can't run away forever. I may not have any intention of facing Dagur right now, but when he attacks again, I won't back down. You and I will stand by our new friends. They need us, and we aren't going to let them down a second time, right?"

Strike seemed to grin in agreement. He liked where his rider was going with this.

The Skrill lifted his head and nuzzled Thora with encouragement. The redheaded Berserker laughed and stroked the dragon's snout in return.

"C'mon," she said, "let's get back to the Academy."

Strike responded by getting to his feet and lowing his back just enough for Thora to climb onto him. The Berserker rogue jumped onto the Skrill's back, and the two friends flew off into the sky, back towards the little village of Berk.


End file.
